For the Love of Indie Dyers

A big thank you to Victoria of Eden Cottage Yarns for sending me this sneak peek of her new yarn, Milburn 4ply. It arrived last week and it brightened up the day. I am yet to wind any of the skeins and swatch, but I have played with colourwork patterns in my head. That oatmeal/grey colour is particularly speaking to me - I am going through a bit of a neutral phase - and I love how the other colours sing to each other. Designing a palette is always hard (every colour needs to be distinct but still play well with the others) but Vicki has pulled it off.

The UK has some of the most amazing indie dyers and I feel so fortunate that I have ready access to names like Vicki, Skein Queen (new website!), Juno Fibre Arts, Lioness Yarns, Kettle Yarn Co., Triskelion Yarns, and The Knitting Goddess. Yarn is shipped quickly and I get to see them 'live' at the various shows. Scotland is particularly strong on indie dyers: I'm a huge fan of  Old Maiden Aunt; RipplesCrafts' amazing colours are pulled from her Highland surroundings, and The Yarn Yard is well-established as a go-to dyer for sock lovers.

One of the many things I really appreciate about many UK dyers is their commitment to offering a variety of bases - many of which are UK-specific breeds. Sourcing the right bases is one of the hardest thing for an indie dyer (followed closely by being able to source enough for a sustainable business) but so many of them are now selling yarns that are so much more than just a merino or a wool/nylon mix. They are showing a real commitment to showcasing the best of British fibre - and I think this is something we should celebrate. They are small, local businesses, they are supporting other small, local businesses and knitters get to discover what makes Polwarth wool different from Corridale wool, say. Win-win for all concerned.

Louise Scollay of KnitBritish recently wrote about the Dos and Donts of Knitting Locally. It is a wonderful post which pokes holes in a lot of myths surrounding knitting locally. It does not have to be more expensive, nor is it more difficult to care for. Being thoughtful about your yarn choices is maybe something to requires a bit more mindfulness (especially next time you are in a yarn shop and are overcome with omg, all the yarn!) but it is doable and rewarding.

I'd love to see a big collaboration between indie dyers and local designers. I try to work with as many indie dyers as I can, but I am just one person. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see a plethora of the best UK indie designers collaborating with the best UK indie dyers? How do you as a knitter feel about this? What would you love to see happening within the UK indie community? And who are your favourite dyers? I know there are some dyers I am yet to discover!

Twin Practices

Knitting, if acquired in youth becomes so mechanical an employment that the occupations of reading and knitting can be carried on simultaneously; while the benefit of early training in this work is felt in extreme old age, and when the sight is dim or lost, a pleasant creation is still open for the experienced knitter - from "Myra's Knitting Lessons. No.1" circa 1800

I still haven't really mastered it - I find it easier to knit along to TV, films and podcasts. And thank you to Louise Scollay of KnitBritish for pointing me towards Myra's Knitting Lessons. How marvellous.

2013: My Year in Knitting

If 2012 was my year of 'throwing out the oughts', 2013 was my year of discovering what happens when I try to 'do what I love doing'. And the answer? A lot of things happen.

The Edinburgh Yarn Festival was an early highlight for me. I was teaching a class and also helped Ms Old Maiden Aunt on her stall. I met a lot of fantastic people; most importantly I met a lot of you lovely blog readers (hello!) but I was also happy to meet fellow industry people. Working in the knitting industry can feel almost isolated at times so events like EYF are fantastic for meeting "colleagues". And a huge thank you to L. for bringing me breakfast at 2pm!

I also went to Woolfest in Cumbria at the beginning of June and the PomPom Magazine PopUp Xmas Party in December. Again, meeting a lot of great people and marvelling at people's creativity and talents.

2013 was the year of working crazily hard.

+ I published Gatsby Hat, Gatsby Mitts, Eyre Shawl, Botanical Gardens Shawl, the Kilsyth scarf and Chinese Kites in Knit Now magazine.

+ the Doggerland collection was launched: Ronaes, Hoxne, Gillean Hat, Gillean Wristwarmers and Ythan were all released this year. Three more to come in 2014, phew.

+ I also found time to do a limited edition kit, the Tenement Tiles gloves, with Ms Old Maiden Aunt.

+ I also worked on several other designs that are yet to be published.

+ I also did a nice amount of teaching, copy editing, tech editing, and knitterly translations throughout the year as well as keeping up with my part-time job as a design consultant for a well-known UK yarn company.

(Note to self: this is why you needed a holiday in December!)

Selfish knitting? There was a tiny bit.

+ I discovered how much I love fair-isle by knitting the Orkney & Bute cardigans (both from Rowan 52). Neither are finished at this stage but I loved every single stitch.

+ I finished the Stevie cardigan by Sarah Hatton. I absolutely love it and it became my go-to cardigan immediately. I'd love to knit another one. I also knitted Sarah's Edith shawl in one of my favourite shades of Rowan Kidsilk Haze.

+ I am currently knitting the Castiel hat by Woolly Wormhead in some yarn I bought in Copenhagen. It's a nice, easy pattern that's great for when my head's tired and I need some comfort knitting.

2013 saw a lot of patterns that I loved on sight but haven't had time to knit.

+ Blanche Too by Susan Crawford made it to my queue the minute I saw it. It is a classic jumper with those tiny Susan-touches that just makes it stand out. It's next on my needles. + Cinnamon Girl Cardigan by Amy Christoffers. It's the shape of the garment that makes this cardigan such a stand-out for me. It is a contemporary take on the classic Aran cardigan - and how much do I love the reverse stocking stitch sleeves? + Rock Candy Pullover by Talitha Kuomi is the quitessential Karie jumper. It is a classic shape but has clever touches and details that make it special. + Happy Triangles by Kiyomi Burgin is one pattern I'll probably never make but it is so perfect for right here & now that it is ridiculous.

So. 2014? It will look quite a bit like 2013, I imagine.

I have things on my desk right now that I need to sign off by end of next week. I am back doing things with Glasgow University in early 2014. Doggerland will be wrapped up (and how I will miss it) and a new big project launched. More patterns will be released. I will be teaching classes - and I'll probably get all stressed out by mid-June!

However, Sarah has issued me with two challenges. Can I design a pair of socks? Can I design a garment? Of course I can.

2013 was insanely busy, so I do need to work on my work-life balance, but it has also been very rewarding on a personal level.

I think I have finally found my feet and I have a better understanding what I have to say as a designer. I have also met some really amazing people along the way and I certainly leave this year feeling stronger and happier as a result. It has been rough along the way but it has been worth it.

Thank you for 2013. Godt nytår - happy new year.

On Devaluating Hand-Knitting

It's been a couple of weeks and I've taken some time off. I have more time off soon which means I'll be away from my office for the first time since .. Christmas last year. Ahem.

I have collaborated with the very lovely Old Maiden Aunt on something which will be released whilst I am away from my office. We began plotting this almost eight months ago. It is crazy how quickly time flies. The photo shoot happened earlier this week - you can see the beautiful Glasgow tenement buildings to the left. Ah, don't let the winter sunshine fool you. It was bitterly cold.

But let us talk a bit about knitting. It's a bit of a ramble from here on in.

Earlier this week, I met a talented girl who had designed and knitted a 4-ply jumper for a client. The client had asked the girl to supply the yarn as well as design/knit it. I asked how much the girl had charged?

An entire 4-ply (fingering-weight) jumper from design conception to finished item and including the yarn. £35. Let me repeat that: thirty-five pounds.

When I asked her why she'd charged that little, she shrugged and replied: "Because the client didn't want to pay anything more and even baulked at £35". I got very, very angry at this stage. I didn't get angry at the girl because she was obviously just trying to make a little money. No, I got angry at a marketplace which so devalues hand-knitting to the point where a customer baulks at paying more than £35 for a custom piece (including materials!) and manages to get away with it. Make that a marketplace in which the customer manages to get away with it again and again because I have heard the same story many times.

That is not okay.

Why is it that hand-knitting is so devalued? Skilled artisan-makers like the girl I met are paid pennies when they should be earning pounds. Is it because hand-knitting is predominantly female-centric? Is it because history has taught the marketplace that hand-knitting is something poor people do to make ends meet and poor people can be exploited? Is it because hand-knitting is perceived as being 'a hobby' that people do between their 'real' jobs? I looked at hand-knitters and I am amazed at their skills, patience and talent. Maybe I am wrong - certainly the marketplace tells me so.

I have never knitted for money -  but I do get asked an awful lot if I am willing to take on commissions. Usually the punter wants me to whip up an aran cardigan because a machine-knitted acrylic version is deemed too expensive. When did we move from "mass produced" = inferior to "mass produced" = superior? To my mind, a one-off piece created by a skilled artisan using excellent materials should always be considered more valuable. How do we change this perception?

I am not an artisan maker and while I hesitate to label what I do, I'm probably more of an artisan makar. "Makar" is an old Scottish word for "poet" or "bard" - and I think of my knitting designs as a way of telling stories with stitches. I care about how hand-knitting is perceived and treated. I know exactly how much time and skill go into designing and writing a pattern - what does that say about my time and skill that Ravelry currently holds 122,147 free patterns? How could I possibly add value to a pattern (and price it at £3) when 122,147 patterns are free?

It's a weird job I have chosen and it is a strange industry too. All I can do is hope that you'll like my collaboration with Lilith (note: it involves an essay about cholera, false teeth and William Morris). I'll be back with a gift-buying guide for the knitters in your life. Treat them well: they are super-skilled and deserve a treat.

Something About Lace

I am working on a series of blog posts - hence the silence. For now enjoy this wonderful little video about Shetland lace (via Snàth Handspun):

On a similar note, I am running a workshop on triangular lace shawls in Edinburgh's Be Inspired Fibres later this month.

Be back soon with that mammoth blog series ..

Botanical Gardens Shawl

Welcome to new visitors brought here by Knit Now and Yarnwise magazines! It has been a bit of a bumper week in terms of media coverage, it is fair to say. I have a pattern in the latest issue of Knit Now. The Botanical Gardens Shawl was a lot of fun to design: it starts off as a standard stocking stitch triangular shawl and then moves into a striking flower pattern which gives way to softly falling petals. I really enjoyed designing something that just flows organically from one stitch pattern into another and which  looks clean & non-fussy.

The shawl also served as a master-class in how magazine work actually works. It is not a designer having a definite vision: it is always a collaboration.

I designed this shawl for Knit Now's Garden Party story in December or January. I first envisioned the shawl knitted in lace-weight yarn and in soft pastel colours - a very soft sage green or a pretty primrose. The Knit Now team suggested the gradient SparkLynne 4ply yarn from The Knitting Goddess instead - the chosen colourway ran from a cool white via pale lavender to  a dark violet. It was a completely different direction but the graduation works perfectly with the way the stitches travel and a 4ply makes far more sense too. The ombre yarn meant that the shawl was moved from the Garden Party issue to the Colour Graduation issue as well - and the shawl works so well within the context of the other designs in the issue.

(I know that Joy of The Knitting Goddess is planning on restocking her shop with more colour-gradient yarns, so if you don't see a colourway straightaway - keep looking!)

Both Knit Now and Yarnwise focus on my Doggerland collection - Knit Now has a wonderful interview with Fiona of The Island Wool Company and Yarnwise has written an entire feature about the collection(!). I know a lot of people are still trying to catch up on knitting from the collection, so I am slowing things down a tiny bit. The next pattern is a unisex pattern and it should be out by mid-week next week.

So, it has been a bumper week - maybe it is more like a bumper year, really. Apart from the Doggerland collection, I have more 'things' in the pipeline. I am working with Old Maiden Aunt on a special project which will be unveiled in November, I'm collaborating with The Yarn Project, and I am also busy swatching for other 2014 work. I can show you a tiny, tiny glimpse of what I worked on yesterday - any guesses?