Philippe Mercier’s popular portrait of an eighteenth-century stocking knitter
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All articles filed in knitting history
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Eimear Earley introduces a gorgeous shawl inspired by the golden age of Irish art
Read MoreLopi & Band interview
Today I want to share with you a conversation I recently had with Margret Linda Gunnlaugsdóttir and Ásdís Birgisdóttir – two of Iceland’s most important and influential designers of hand-knits. I knew of Ásdís and Linda’s work with the 1990s Icelandic magazine Lopi & Band, and was fascinated with their designs, which seemed really distinctive…
Read MoreCockatoo Brae
Yes, you did read that correctly — Cockatoo Brae. This remarkable phrase is, in fact, the name of a lane in Lerwick, Shetland, and it is also the name of the final yoke in my collection. This design emerged from an exciting collaboration with my friend Ella. In Shetland, machine and hand knitting go very…
Read MoreA day at Sanquhar
Have you been to Sanquhar? I am ashamed to say that I hadn’t — until Saturday. Sanquhar Knitting Workshop was part of Glasgow University’s Knitting in the Round project and was held at A’ the Airts, a lovely community arts centre at the heart of Sanquhar. At the workshop May MacCormick, who has knitted literally…
Read Moreyoke in a bag!
What’s this? Some “Shetland” yarn of very vintage hue, spun and branded here in Scotland? . . .and an accompanying pattern? But wait! There’s more . . . . Yes, this is a kit to knit your own yoked cardigan or jumper! Having heard of the existence of these kits (from your comments and elsewhere)…
Read MoreA conversation with Hélène Magnusson
(Hélène, Hiking and Knitting between Fire and Ice, against the spectacular backdrop of Eyjafjallajökull.) When I visited Iceland I had the very great pleasure of finally meeting Hélène Magnusson, whose research and designs I have admired for many years. I visited Hélène in her lovely home in Reykjavik, where we drank tea, ate some delicious…
Read Moretoday’s inspiration
Kerstin Olsson in Karen Invarsson’s Bohus design “The Swan”. Twiggy iconic in Fairisle The McCartneys in Shetland Yoke design by Unn Søiland (1951) Yokes, knitted & crocheted pre-1950 Can you guess what my next book is going to be about?
Read Moresocks, owls, &c. . .
(recognise that darned heel, Mandy?) Some of you may be interested to know that the above appears in this month’s issue of The Knitter magazine. It is the first piece for publication that I’ve produced since the stroke, and because of this, I feel unusually proud of it. Did you know that such a thing…
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