KNITTED poppies on sale at a local craft shop are raising much needed cash for the British Legion – thanks to ‘Nan.’

The poppies selling well at the Country Kate shop in Kinver High Street have all been knit by the grandmother of store owner Katie Wilkinson.

In fact Katie’s whole business is due to the traditional skills of knitting, sewing and crocheting passed down the generations in the family.

Grandmother Francis Smith, aged 75, who lives in Wombourne, has been knitting hundreds of the poppies for the last month to help raise money for the British Legion during this Covid year, when the normal poppy collections are not possible.

She and Katie’s mum, Sandra, from Bobbington, have passed on their skills to Katie and her sister Laura and the result is the Country Kate shop, launched last year.

Before that Katie had sold her handmade craft items from stalls at various country shows, so moving into a shop and starting an online service was timely, coming just before Covid closed down most shows.

The poppies and handmade Christmas items are very popular at the moment, but the shop also specialises in bespoke work – including a half-metre tall knitted Highland cow for one recent customer.

For more info go to https://countrykate.co.uk/