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Knitting shop reopens almost a year after Storm Babet

Darren Rozier/BBC Sharon Cane is pictured standing in her knitting shop. She is standing at the counter with a laptop in front of her. She is facing and smiling at the camera. She has shoulder length brown hair and is wearing a dark red dress. To her right are black coloured shelves holding tens of yarn balls in all different colours.Darren Rozier/BBC
Sharon Cane said she almost lost everything during flooding in Storm Babet last year

A knitting shop has finally been able to reopen almost a year since it was severely damaged during Storm Babet.

The Knitters Attic was one of hundreds of businesses in Suffolk flooded last October when heavy rain hit the county.

The shop in Bredfield, near Woodbridge, lost almost everything which owner Sharon Cane said was hard to come to terms with.

Fortunately due to a helpful insurance company, Ms Cane has managed to reopen her shop but it has still taken her almost a year.

Recalling Storm Babet, she said: "It was unprecedented that amount of rain and that storm, it just came out of the blue.

"There was heavy rain and then we noticed it started to come off the road, then off the field at the back of us which is higher.

"The level came up so quickly it took us by surprise.

"We frantically picked up the furniture we could out of the water and saved what we could."

Ms Cane said the water rose to about 15in (0.38m) in her shop which is also her home.

Darren Rozier/BBC A picture of the shop's shelves. The shelves are black and are holding tens of yarn balls in all different colours. An indoor plant can be seen in the corner of the room between two of the shelves. Other shop items can be seen on the shelves. Darren Rozier/BBC
The Knitters Attic marks its 10 year anniversary on Friday

Ms Cane's insurance company came to her shop following the floods to help salvage what they could.

It meant she was able to carry out some business online while the premisies were restored.

"Even though it was difficult circumstances doing it, it allowed me to carry on and still serve customers," she added.

Despite her online work, Ms Cane said she struggled to come to terms with the items she lost.

"It's difficult to explain to somebody but something like the old knitting patterns that I had collected since I was a teenager, seeing those gone it was really quite emotional," she said.

"So much was lost. The insurance company did say, 'did you want to carry on?' and it didn't take me a second to say 'yes'."

Darren Rozier/BBC A general view of Sharon Cane, owner of the Knitters Attic. She is standing in the shop and smiling to the camera. She has shoulder length brown hair and is wearing a dark red dress. Behind her are black shelves which have tens of yarn balls placed upon then.Darren Rozier/BBC
Ms Cane developed a passion for knitting after her mother introduced her into it when she was a child

Fortunately Ms Cane said her customers had been "unbelievably supportive" which she thanked them for.

On Friday the shop marks its 10 year anniversary since it first opened.

However Ms Cane was adamant she never wanted to endure another storm like Babet again.

"The insurance company have been amazing and we've had a really lucky experience but it has been really difficult," she added.

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