Vanessa’s Retirement from Taylor & Abel – A Farewell from Your Local Penge Knitting Shop 🧶💕
If you’ve ever visited Taylor & Abel, our independent Penge knitting shop on Maple Road, chances are you’ve met Vanessa.
Vanessa joined Taylor & Abel on 12th April 2021, during one of the most uncertain periods for independent retail. Over nearly five years, she has become part of the creative heartbeat of our knitting shop in South East London, supporting customers, building community and growing her own skills along the way.
Now, as she becomes a first-time Nanna, she begins a new chapter in retirement.
And while we’re saying goodbye to her behind the counter, we’re celebrating everything she helped build here in Penge.
A Steady Presence in Our Penge Knitting Shop During COVID
When Vanessa joined our knitting shop in Penge, the high street was quiet and the future of small businesses felt fragile.
Through COVID closures, reopenings and ever-changing guidance, she brought calm and reassurance to our customers. The gentle rhythm of her knitting needles became a familiar, comforting sound inside Taylor & Abel.
For many local makers across Penge and South East London, our shop became more than somewhere to buy yarn, it became a place to reconnect. Vanessa helped make that happen.
Her warmth reminded us why independent craft shops matter.
A Personal Chapter – Support Beyond the Shop Floor
Some chapters are personal. Tender and private. One of the main reasons Vanessa joined our little business is because of our IVF process.
Vanessa walked alongside me through my IVF journey, the emotional highs and lows that come quietly but heavily. She didn’t offer clichés. She simply stood beside me.
She was by our side when both my husband and I lost our dads, 18 months apart, dried my tears, supported my mum but more recently giggled as professionals finally made sense of my crazy behaviour.
There were cups of tea, ( cold drinks for me ) gentle conversations, quiet understanding.
In those moments, she was not just a colleague. She was a friend.
And that kind of support cannot be written into a job description.
Supporting Maple Road Penge & Local Independent Retail
Over the past few years, the face of Maple Road Penge has evolved. New businesses have arrived, others have moved on, and the street has continued to grow into a vibrant independent hub in South East London.
Vanessa didn’t just witness that change, she contributed to it.
She proudly supported the relaunch of the Maple Road Market, helping strengthen the local maker community. Market mornings meant early starts, shared laughter and welcoming faces for visitors discovering Maple Road for the first time.
Her belief in supporting small businesses and shopping local helped reinforce Taylor & Abel’s place as a trusted independent craft shop in Penge.
From Knitter to Sewing Confidence – Growing at Taylor & Abel
Vanessa arrived as an experienced knitter, helping customers across Penge choose yarns, understand patterns and fix dropped stitches with patience and care.
If you’ve searched for a “Penge knitting shop with friendly advice,” that reputation exists because of people like her.
During her time here, she also developed her sewing skills, learning new techniques, building confidence and proving that creativity never stands still. Watching her grow as a maker was one of the quiet joys of these years.
Taylor & Abel has always been about learning, sharing and evolving and Vanessa embodied that spirit.
WIPs Evenings – Building a Knitting & Sewing Community in South East London
One of Vanessa’s most lasting contributions was launching our much-loved WIPs (Work In Progress) Evenings.
What began as a simple idea — bring your knitting, crochet or sewing project and sit together — grew into a supportive creative circle for makers across Penge and South East London.
These evenings became:
A welcoming entry point for beginners
A confidence boost for nervous makers
A social space for local residents
A reminder that craft connects people
