Polly Benson, founder of TTiS and Strinsel, wearing glasses and a denim jacket against a greenish blurred background

I'm Polly. I make things out of string.

I'm also a Fine Art graduate, a tiler and decorator with a background in construction and film, and a mother of two. Life experience has taught me that I'm good at learning skills—but only if it serves an immediate purpose or solves a problem. Tiling, painting, building a spreadsheet, cooking, writing an introduction to a life story—I'll work it out. Then I'll move on, usually forgetting I ever knew how to do it. This has resulted in an uneasy awareness that I'm a Jack of many, Master of none. Admittedly, this is very handy when working on film sets, but it was not something I felt able to reconcile when struggling to redefine myself once my children had started school and low self-esteem had taken root.

Why string?

I'll be honest: cost was the primary reason for trying out string. One of the skills I've not forgotten is knitting. I'm not a pro by any standard, but I enjoy it, especially the fact I can pick it up anytime, anywhere. The downside of knitting is the cost of good quality natural yarns. I'd sometimes get lucky in charity shops, but these finds were often acrylic blends at best, or occasionally lambswool, which irritates my eczema-prone hands. I couldn't conceive building a viable small business around knitting. Then I remembered a project I'd done a while back—a moss stitch satchel-style shoulder bag knitted in household string. Knitting it was tough going (cotton string doesn't have the same give or stretch as typical knitting yarns), but I liked the finish. What I really liked was the idea of knitting with something as basic as string. Plus I'm a big fan of the hardware chic aesthetic and an avid collector of chipped enamelware—kitchen cloths knitted in string was my entry into this world.

Close-up of red and white yarn being knitted on circular needles against a spool of cotton string
Spools of twine and craft supplies on the table of This Thing is String founder Polly

Finding My Method

In the beginning I made swatches with any old ball of string. On my 41st birthday in September 2020, I bought myself a Prym French knitting machine and started making lengths of knitted cord, thinking I'd coil them into dishes or placemats. At some point I hit on the idea of inserting the cord with wire and sculpting with it. I'm not claiming to have invented this—plenty of people work this way—but it opened things up for me.

The First Tree Topper

Coming up to Christmas, I thought about making decorations to sell—holly, mistletoe, stars. When I put up my own tree, I thought: why not a tree topper? I made a simple star shape with a tighter coil than most, winding the excess wire round a wooden spoon handle. It worked. I photographed it, listed it online, and by January 2021 I'd sold over 150. That validation—knowing people liked these simple string things enough to buy them—made me realise This Thing is String had potential.

French knitted string and wire sculpted star tree topper on a green cutting mat with hand tools
Bright gold Strinsel string tinsel forming a star on a dark wall with an elf_on_the_shelf

Where I'm At Now.

Since those first tree toppers, This Thing is String has grown into a small collection: knitted homewares, accessories, seasonal decorations, and my flagship product, Strinsel—a plastic-free garland made from cotton and jute twine. It started as an experiment in 2021 and has become the thing I'm probably best known for. It's now a sub-brand in its own right. I'm still figuring out what this business can be, but I'm enjoying the process of making, testing, and seeing what resonates.

Find Out More About Strinsel

The String I use.

I use Everlasto strings and twines in different grades depending on the finish I'm after. For French knitting I use Natural Cotton String—softer, more malleable, and the right width for my machine. Most household knits are hand knitted in Polished Cotton Twine: tighter, firmer, great for chunky knits that hold their shape. Sourcing UK-manufactured materials matters to me, which is how I found James Lever 1856 Ltd in Bolton. They've been making rope, string and twine for over 160 years—originally collecting cotton bindings from Greater Manchester and Lancashire mills. As industry evolved, they diversified, developing their own products under the Everlasto brand. Today they supply industries, businesses, and makers like me across the UK and beyond.

Spool of cotton string, Strinsel string tinsel label, scissors, and part made garland on a wooden table top