It began with the simple ambition to knit a cardigan as a gift for his sister ... and just over a year later it has grown into a way to make a living.

Jonathan Adams, 31, of Whitchurch Walk, St Neots, stumbled upon his talent for knitting when he joined the town’s library knitting group, which he now manages, after moving from Grimsby.

While the cardigan remains unmade, he has since created a host of items, with his proudest achievements being a knitted witch decoration for Hallowe’en and an Aran jumper. He is also a member of the Jubilee Machine Knitters, in Little Paxton, where he added to his skills.

But in May this year he took his passion for the craft one step further, temporarily giving up his job as a nurse to try to get his knitting and haberdashery business – named Jonathan’s Crafts – off the ground.

He said: “I wanted to join a ­knitting group to try to get to know different people and I have met lots of really great people in the area.

“I taught myself everything I know really, but there are a lot of really talented knitters there that can help you with whatever problem you have.”

He has a regular stall at the indoor market at St Ives Corn Exchange on Mondays from 9am-2.30pm, and he has also set up a website and Facebook page.

Now, he is preparing for a spooky Hallowe’en-themed workshop in St Neots with friends Sarah Eaton and Sam Cooper, where visitors can learn jewellery making, polymer clay modelling, or knitting techniques.

Jonathan said: “I decided I wanted to do something in the craft ­community and wanted to make a go of it. It has given me a lot more confidence and shown me a lot more about different walks of life – I never thought I would have gone into retail.

“I just want to try something that I enjoy and find fulfilling. It is just the idea of how many things you create – there is such an open palette for creation.”

INFORMATION: The workshop will take place at Betty Bumbles Vintage Tea Rooms, Market Square, from 2-6pm, on Sunday, October 26. The event is for over 16s and costs £29. To book, call 01223 926097, stop by the tea rooms, or go to www.facebook.com/jonathanscrafts. For more, visit www.jonathanscrafts.co.uk. The St Neots Library Knitting Group meets on the first and third Friday of the month from 1-4pm, or the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, from 7-9pm. Free to join, with a voluntary donation for refreshments.