If you want a treat on your visit to Lyme Regis, go and see Nicola Kathrens and her little dog Seymour Morris, in her knitwear studio, that was once Mr Pattimore's Butcher shop on Coombe Street.
Over the past 25 years, Nicola has built her unique business into one of the town's 'must see' shopping attractions. Both herself and her studio are bright and friendly and everyone is made to feel welcome.
Self taught, she designs and makes rare and exquisite knitwear for her own label: NK Rare Knitwear. Her work, simply put, is fabulously eye-catching and simply gorgeous - a purveyor of beautiful things. Her enthusiasm for her work is infectious as she speaks lovingly about her 'girls'.
Nicola has a unique off-the-peg range of knitwear. A collection of "one-off pieces" sculpted from second cycle cashmere, angora and Shetland wools, velvets and silks. Unrepeatable moments of beauty.
Some are laden with detailed stitching and beading. Others, quietly simple and understated. Each one is an inspiration. A wearable work of art.
Her range of hand knitted coats and jackets are, as she puts it, rather like her 'limited edition print run'. She will introduce you to styles such as Ethel, Sybill, Rita, Sweetie Pie, and Constance ...or how about an Edith?
She delights in providing a made to measure service, taking a plethera of measurements and guiding clients through the swatches of colours for the wools and the velvets for the buttons.
Irrespective of size, her knitting to fit service allows any woman - fairy, rubenesque, apple or pear - the joy of feeling fabulous wearing one of her jackets or coats. The turn round time on a made to measure hand knit is between three and eight months. 'This is probably due to the fact that there is only myself and one very special knitter' she says, 'but in my opinion, making wearable beauty by hand is worth taking time over. And it's worth waiting for'.