layla chelache

I have my Irish grandmother to thank for kick-starting my obsession with and adventures in knitting. A prolific knitter of Aran jumpers and cardigans, she taught me the basics when I was just six years old and I am still in awe of her skills with the needles.

At university I studied fashion design, followed by a BA in Constructed Textiles.
After several years of working in varied roles within the fashion industry, I decided to dedicate myself fully to my passion for all things knitting and I set up my company CHELACHE to make and sell my own designs.

More than anything I love colours and textures and for me there is no better way to express this than through textiles. Knitting, in particular, gives me the potential to really play with the construction of the fabric and exploit its sculptural qualities.

I live and work in Hackney, East London. My commute to work is literally a walk in the park, as I’m lucky enough to live one side of London Fields and work on the other. My small knit laboratory contains two vintage, industrial, hand operated knitting machines on which I am forever experimenting. When away from the machines, I spend my time hand knitting on tiny wooden needles.

What I love about my work is that however much I have learnt over the years, I know I have barely scratched the surface. With knitting there is always more to discover…