▁at ▁Craig head ▁Dioc es an ▁School ▁in ▁Tim aru ▁and ▁St . ▁Margaret ' s ▁College ▁in ▁Christ ch urch . ▁She ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁train ▁as ▁a ▁nur se , ▁special ising ▁in ▁card i ology . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁she ▁married ▁Alexander ▁D ry sd ale , ▁and ▁the ▁couple ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁have ▁two ▁children . ▁She ▁gave ▁up ▁n urs ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁ ▁Business ▁career ▁While ▁her ▁children ▁were ▁young , ▁D ry sd ale ▁decided ▁to ▁start ▁a ▁home - based ▁gar ment ▁manufact uring ▁business . ▁She ▁called ▁it ▁" S now y ▁Pe ak " ▁and ▁employed ▁out work ers ▁to ▁kn it ▁lux ury ▁clothes ▁such ▁as ▁jump ers , ▁h ats , ▁scar ves ▁and ▁glo ves ▁for ▁supply ▁to ▁a ▁few ▁Christ ch urch ▁stores . ▁She ▁started ▁with ▁ 1 0 ▁out work ers , ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁after ▁four ▁years ▁operation , ▁she ▁had ▁ 5 0 0 ▁working ▁for ▁her . ▁ ▁D ry sd ale ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁cert ified ▁organ ic , ▁e co - friend ly ▁w ools ▁and ▁c ott ons . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁she ▁launched ▁the ▁world ' s ▁first ▁y arn ▁that ▁bl ended ▁pos sum ▁fur ▁with ▁mer ino ▁w ool , ▁calling ▁the ▁new ▁y arn ▁" mer in om ink ". ▁She ▁also ▁began ▁to ▁export ▁her ▁clothes ▁to ▁Australia ,