Tucked away in Castle Park Arts Centre courtyard, but bursting with wools of all colours and patterns, is Cath Darlington's Handknitted with Love.

Alongside her huge collection of yarns, Cath stocks handmade blankets, socks, baby clothes and even hot water bottle covers!

"I started knitting as a child taught by my Mum," she says, "and I have always had knitting and crochet as a hobby.

"I found it very therapeutic during a time when I couldn't work due to ill health, and that triggered a move into self employment and the creation of Handknitted with Love!"

In October 2012, Cath began selling her handmade knitted and crocheted baby clothes from Lady Heyes.

After a brief stint in Robert Gleave Garden Centre, she eventually opened her little shop at Castle Park Art Centre, where she has also had some of her work on display.

"I mostly knit or crochet from patterns I like, although occasionally I've designed bespoke items for a customer or two.

"Nowadays I tend not to take orders unless they're for bootees or tea cosies – something small!"

Since the opening of Handknitted with Love, Cath has gained a large following on social media, where she shares her designs and projects, and has customers travelling from far and wide to buy her wools.

She has also developed a faithful knitting community here in Frodsham. "My knit and knatter group has been going for eight years and is very successful," she says.

"Unfortunately, at the present time I've had to put it on hold as it's quite a large group and we just didn't have the space to satisfy Covid-19 rules.

"I have always offered beginners knitting and crochet lessons but they too are on hold at the moment. However, I do offer one to one sessions in the shop by appointment.

"I also usually hold workshops once a month for up to six bookings. These include a lesson, all materials and light refreshments with little goodie bags at the end. It's friendly and fun some have booked onto more than one!"

With the Covid-19 lockdown forcing the temporary closure of Handknitted with Love earlier this year, Cath began posting knitting tutorials online, and received a great response from her followers.

"I started doing little Facebook videos to keep myself and the friends of Handknitted with Love happy. It was a good way of keeping in touch." she says.

This also helped Cath to publicise her new lockdown project. In March, when people were sticking rainbow pictures in their windows as a symbol of hope and togetherness, Cath saw a pattern for a crocheted rainbow on Kerry Jayne Designs, and decided to try it out.

Quite unexpectedly, she received a flurry of rave reviews from her Facebook community.

"My nephew's partner, who works in a hospital, had one I'd made for the family. She posted it to her Facebook page and oh my word! My world went rainbows!

"I started sending out rainbows with the help of our lovely friend Faye who did the post office run. I think she was banned from every post office from Runcorn to Haydock!

"I ended up making 165 rainbows, posting out to nurses and health professionals, plus anyone and everyone who asked.

"I started running out of wool, so various friends of mine donated theirs to keep me going.

"My rainbows went all around Runcorn, Frodsham, Helsby, Liverpool, up North to Leeds and West Yorkshire. And then to Ireland, France, America and Australia!

"I raised £125 for Halton Haven hospice plus a little more once I'd got back into the shop."

To conclude, Cath jokes that, "I've heard say that Handknitted with Love is the best little wool shop in town," and we would definitely agree!

You can find out more about Cath's knits on her Facebook page, or by following her on Twitter.