Shoezone

The best knitting comes when the designer is inspired by the world around them. Still, discount shoe brand ShoeZone is a muse that's never really stirred our passion for yarn and needles. But for Kath Hitchings, it has done just that, and shes created a shopping basket full of objects from plimsolls to bunting inspired by the shoe shop and its distinct blue and orange colours.

On seeing the knits via Twitter, ShoeZone were so amazed, they arranged for them to be installed in the local Aldershot branch of the shop. They've been on display from last Sunday until Friday 22nd of February, when they'll be being relocated to the Unravel festival, held in Farnham, for the weekend.

Kath is the ring leader of the Knitting Neer Do Wells based in Farnham, Surrey, who like nothing more than a spot of yarnbombing and transforming local areas with creative displays. We asked her a few questions to get an insight into the mind that came up with these curious knits!

How long have you been knitting?"I've been knitting addictively since I was 13 when Wee Mary Bell, an old lady from church taught me. I was having a traumatic time with serious family illness plus struggling with being an English kid in Scotland, but she provided me with a woolly life line. Mary had six gangly boys, her youngest a punk teen who seemed uber cool to shy little me. He constantly wore the rainbow sweater his mother had knitted him; an anarchic accompaniment to his DMs and bleach-splattered drainpipes. I knitted a copycat version and never looked back."

How did the idea of ShoeZone knits originally come to you? "The mantra of the Knitting Ne'er do Wells is to bring 'joy in unexpected places. I wanted to cheer up the good people of Aldershot, whose town centre is somewhat forlorn and down at the heel. I wished to challenge people's presuppositions about knitting and encourage a new wave of creativity. I was also interested in whether I could create something beautiful and homespun out of a very corporate logo. Shoe Zone has a strong colour scheme - the orange and blue lent itself well as a palette for a yarnbomber. All in all, Shoe Zone is an ideal 'people's gallery' and I am thrilled about exhibiting there."

What was your favourite object knitted up in the ShoeZone colours? "The Fair Isle handbag - it really is an object of beauty. But I love the dog jacket too as it is so quirky and fun."

How many objects did you knit for the installation? "I created between 20 and 25 plus there is up to twenty more knitted Shoe Zone items contributed by other members of The Knitting Ne'er Do Wells"

How did shoe zone come to see your projects? "I tweeted them photos previous of yarn storms. But ultimately I chose them as my muse, not the other way round!"

Are you working on any other plans for the future? "Well, I have got really quite into adapting shoes and 'design hacking' them with knitting and crochet...I am now totally into the footwear Zone!"