Let Glasgow Flourish

Today we released a new pattern – the Let Glasgow Flourish blanket.

Inspired by the work of textile artist, educator, and women’s suffrage campaigner, Ann Macbeth, the blanket echoes a civic banner Macbeth created in 1910.

The pared-back colourwork and abstracted motifs I’ve used speak to Macbeth’s own Glasgow Style and makes a wonderful showpiece!

Knitted at a larger gauge, the Let Glasgow Flourish chart can also be used for an accompanying cushion (for which I’ve also produced a pattern)

It seems fitting that these two pieces — inspired by a local designer who enjoyed exploring her own creativity — should form the finalé of the Knitting Season collection.

It’s a collection which, over its 14 varied cold-weather patterns, has been all about encouraging different approaches to design, and the exploration of creativity in one’s knitting.

Pieces like the Dathan pullover, or the accompanying hap and gloves, encourage knitters to play with and discover colour.

While the Knitting Season pullover . . .

and the Knitting Season hat . . .

Investigate the use of different yarn weights and different techniques (intarsia, stranded colourwork) to produce the same motif.

In the Weel Riggit pullover . . .

and its accompanying deep-ribbed slouchy hat, we look at how the same simple surface design might be used on garments and accessories

While Tonnach and Fernie Brae offer two different takes on chevrons.

In Strodie I experiment with a new way of making stripes . . .

and Sleeve Island involves a new-to-me garment construction I’ve often wanted to explore: knitting from side to side.

Finally, in Gréis, I designed 9-shade circular yoke

and made it into a dress.

A yoke is one of my favourite things to design, and this is certainly one of my all-time favourite yokes. It was a good feeling when I was able to wear this garment of my own creation, knitted using my own yarn, last year . . .

. . . when I spoke about design and knitting, about creativity and community, at the FSB annual dinner with Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon.

These 14 patterns have so-far been issued as part of our club, and will be published together as a book, which will soon be available (and will be shipped out to all club members). All 14 of the individual patterns in the collection are also now available on Ravelry.

Links
Let Glasgow Flourish Blanket
Let Glasgow Flourish Cushion
Dathan Pullover
Dathan hap
Dathan gloves
Knitting Season Pullover
Knitting Season Hat
Weel Riggit Pullover
Weel Riggit Hat
Tonnach
Fernie Brae
Strodie
Sleeve Island
Grèis
Knitting Season collection