'Tis the Season

Happy Holidays to you all.

 For the past week or so I have been cooped up in bed with a terrible cold that turned into a head-cold that turned into a chesty cough that just won't leave. We'll be taking it easy this holiday season, so I get a chance to recover before 2015 kicks in. I will get to see some of my favourite people over the holiday season, but it is also the time of year when I'm very much aware that I live overseas. This is the season of missing people so very, very much.

Wherever you are and however you celebrate the forthcoming holidays, I wish you peace and joy.

Glædelig jul og godt nytår.

An Unexpected Twist: Looking Back at 2014

One of the reasons why I love this blog is that it allows me to retrace my steps. 2012 was the year of throwing out all the I ought to.. and 2013 was the year of 'what happens when I try to do the things I love'. 2014 offered an unexpected twist.

I started the year injuring my knee. As painful as it was, the injury also gave me some downtime to reflect upon my life and my work/life balance. Later in the year I was offered an opportunity to move into a new role with the yarn company I was working for .. and I decided to turn it down. Instead I became a fully self-employed knitting designer, writer and teacher. It was a very big, scary decision but I am yet to regret it.

From Brighton to Belfast, I travelled a lot this year. Unwind Brighton coincided with my new career path and it remains an undisputed highlight of my year. I loved Brighton itself, I loved teaching my classes, and I especially loved meeting knitters from all over the world. I have so many memories from Unwind: the teachers' dinner where I looked around thinking holy moly, this is like the knitting equivalent of a Nobel Prize dinner party, teaching in a Grade II-listed Georgian house, going on an impromptu photo safari of Brighton with Bristol, winning the Pompom Party pub quiz (I am still proud of my nano-second response of entrelac to an anagram question), teaching crochet to someone with the best sense of colour I can ever recall meeting, giggling hysterically over Sunday lunch with Joanne, and watching the Football World Cup finale in a craft beer pub filled with friends both new and old. And all while I was knitting a very woolly cardigan in the sweltering heat.

Design-wise, it was another bumper year, although most of the design 'action' took place after I turned self-employed.

+ I had patterns in two book releases this year: the Picycle Shawl in Bespoke and also The Juniper Hat and the Pinecones Shawl in The Knit Generation. The latter book was curated by Sarah Hatton and is just incredibly beautiful. + I had several patterns in knitting magazines this year. The Proserpine Shawl,  the Mirja Hat & Gloves set, the Wharram Cowl, the Scollay cardigan, the Dala Love hat & boot toppers, and the Koselig vest all appeared in Knit Now while the Stina Crochet Collar popped up in Crochet Now. I also had the Vintage Moments set appear in Let's Knit.

+ Even more excitement as I collaborated with my good friend, Susan Crawford, on a design for her Knits in a Cold Climate collection, Noblesse Oblige. I also released the freebie Seaforth Hat as an exclusive download from LoveKnitting.

+ And probably the most exciting thing was finally finishing the Doggerland collection with Vedbaek, Ertebolle, and Storegga. I received so many messages and mails about Doggerland and I continue to be floored.

17 designs in one year. Last year I said I wanted to try my hand at garments and socks. I managed to publish two garments (Scollay and Koselig) and I have a sock club launching in January. I nearly made the deadline! I also had two magazine front covers which was equally bewildering and exciting.

I also managed to find time to write (including two articles for Knit Now about the Arts & Crafts Movement and Nordic knitting), teach, tech-edit, copy-edit and do some mentoring. Hardly any translation jobs in 2014! I went wholesale with my patterns which is a new adventure.

Yes, 2014 was a year of the unexpected twist and I think I'll look back at it as a transitional period in years to come. I have no idea what 2015 will bring (my 2013 prediction was "So. 2014? It will look quite a bit like 2013, I imagine."), but I think it'll be another year of transitions and changes. We'll see.

Finally, some of my personal favourites from 2014.

1913: The Year Before the Storm by Florian Illes was my favourite read of 2014. I love my early 20th century arts and culture and 1913 was a really great take on cultural maelstroms and intermissions. It was very, very much up my street.  Stuart Murdoch's Glasgow-set pop musical God Help the Girl was always destined to be my favourite film of the year: it is filmed in a five-minute radius from where I live, I love Murdoch's band Belle & Sebastian, friends appear as extras and I freaking love musicals. Pure catnip, I tell you. Under the Skin was amazing too. The novel by Michel Faber is one of my favourites and I was relieved to see the film had not lost its otherworldliness. My favourite singer-songwriter, Neil Finn, visited Glasgow in April. I've seen him play live on mumble, mumble occasions, but this year's concert was really quite special. Here's some footage from the encore (not featured: me bawling somewhere in the crowd).

And 2014 was the year that Dave & I went to Arran for the day. And what a good, good day that was.

The Spirit of the Stairs

This is a non-knitting post, so if you are here for the knits & purls, feel free to skip this! I live in the UK, but I was born in Denmark. This makes me an immigrant - an EU immigrant, to be precise. I settled permanently in the UK because I fell in love with a Scotsman. Luckily, I also fell in love with Scotland and this is my home now. My Bella Caledonia. However, I was racially abused yesterday in a manner that left me shaking and upset.

Nine years ago Dave & I were talking about wanting to live together and we had to decide where that should be. We decided the UK would be the best option because Denmark has huge problems with racism and xenophobia. The Danish People's Party is a right-wing anti-immigration party which is considered mainstream in Denmark (it has just polled as the biggest party in Denmark, incidentally) and it sets the media agenda in Denmark. Did we want to live somewhere where Dave's accent would always set him apart and he'd never really be considered welcome? No. Did we want to live somewhere where his name and lack of Danish language skills would affect his job opportunities severely? No.

I've now lived in Glasgow eight years now and I cannot imagine living anywhere else. I was worried about racism before I moved across, but it has been manageable so far. I've had a few drunks shouting things about foreigners, but that's easy to shrug off. The drunks also recant as soon as I point out I'm a foreigner: Eh, I didnae mean you, hen! I have one kind individual occasionally forwarding me anti-immigration articles (you know who you are) but I find that somewhat amusing.

In recent years the UK has seen the rise of anti-immigration rhetoric. From British Jobs For British People slogans to blaming foreigners for a National Health System struggling to cope with budget cuts. Britain even has its own anti-immigration party now which enjoys disproportional media coverage. I have a strong feeling of deja-vu as sentiments I recognise from Denmark have spread to the UK.  Encouraged by certain corners of UK media, it has become more and more acceptable to say things that are overtly racist. Being one of those pesky EU immigrants blamed for everything from how sandwiches are made to pot holes in the roads, it is rather disconcerting.

Yesterday I was travelling from Glasgow to Edinburgh when I found myself next to a nice 50-something lady with nice hair, sensible shoes, a jolly yellow rain jacket and a posh accent. Without any prompting she began to inform everyone around us that Polish drivers were to blame for British road accidents, that Europeans had a different driving culture ("if you can call it culture"), that she once went to Germany and was shocked by how drivers did not stop for her when she crossed the street, and how foreigners coming to Britain needed to sit a driving exam before being allowed to drive on good British roads filled with decent Britons (although when challenged, she allowed that tourists may have a fortnightly exemption if they pledged to be law-abiding). This was the start of an hour-long monologue directed at different people around her. EU immigrants were welfare benefit cheats, killing people on the streets, stealing jobs from honest Britons, invading Britain under the cover of EU laws, intent on destroying Britain &c. The solution was clear, according to the nice lady. All foreigners should be thrown out of Britain! "What we need is a revolution!"

At the beginning I was tempted to interject. I wanted to challenge her on what she was saying but I didn't. Instead I started shaking. She noticed - oh, she noticed - as did a nice gentleman across from me who started talking to me about the sock I was knitting. Eventually I began laughing every time she said something particularly outrageous. It was a choice between laughter and tears - and I did not want to show her any tears. My laughter shut her up, finally, and she spent the rest of the journey reading a certain right-wing newspaper.

Today I have made plenty of speeches in my head. I've worked out all the things I could have said to her - "I am one of those EU immigrants you fear so much. Look at me. I hold two university degrees. I've never claimed any benefits. I run my own business. In my own country, people are saying all those things about my Scottish partner. What do you want us to do?" - but that is the spirit of the stairs talking. I have had racial abuse hurled at me before but it has always been by people I could dismiss as either drunk or incredibly stupid* - it is less easy to dismiss a a nice 50-something lady with a posh accent. It is scary because she is the type of woman who is recognisably, reassuringly an upstanding member of society.

(* a nod to the guy who shouted "go back to your pervert country, you terrorist" at me on the day after 7/7. I was biking through Copenhagen wearing a tank-top and shorts - both items of clothing not usually associated with Islamist terrorists, but I guess my dark hair & my light tan confused him.)

Important Announcements

Folks, there are going to be some changes around here. My work/life balance has been seriously dysfunctional for some time and I am feeling the toll. In order to avoid burning out and crashing out of my job, I'm simply going to make some changes to how I offer support. I am very sorry. I love hearing from you guys - I really, really do and I hope you know this - but I also need time to design and write stuff.

These are the main changes:

1. I am going to have set office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10am and 4pm, I will be at my desk dealing with emails, pattern queries, media requests and all the other stuff.

2. I will no longer be dealing with pattern queries via my Ravelry inbox. Likewise, I won't be able to help with queries on Twitter or Facebook. Please use my email for pattern queries (the email address is on the Ravelry receipt).

3. I am going to encourage you to use my Ravelry group as much as possible because a) the people there are amazing, b) many of them have knitted everything I've designed several times, and c) it's likely that your query has been answered there before. Really, go join the group. It's great!

4. I am working on a FAQ which I hope to have finished in the next few weeks.

5. I cannot offer general knitting help - I only offer help with my own patterns, I am afraid. For general knitting problems, knittinghelp.com is a fantastic and undervalued resource. Likewise, if you have any technical issues with my patterns, try checking the Ravelry Help pages.

Hopefully these changes will mean a less stressed-out Karie which means a happier Karie which means more Karie-stuff from Karie! (And I'll use pronouns more responsibly too.)

Another change is afoot:

I have been dragging my feet over this, but I have to adjust my pricing come January 1st. I haven't adjusted my prices in years despite rising costs, but I can no longer afford to keep prices where they are now. This means that my £3 patterns will go up to £3.75 - I am trying to keep the ebook collections at the same price as they are now, but I will have to review this decision again come summer. I really do not like passing on costs to customers and I am very sorry about having to do this.

Thank you so, so much for your understanding.

Knitting Journeys

I love travelling on ferries. I suppose I could blame my Viking blood, but I have always found sailing immensely enjoyable and relaxing. Last week I visited Northern Ireland for the first time which meant a long ferry ride across the Irish Sea as well as a long bus journey through the Scottish Lowlands. The journey home was especially lovely as the sun was out and I found myself a window seat where I could knit away and watch the waves without getting disturbed. Utter bliss.

I'll write more about this towards the end of the year, but I have realised that knitting is both a journey for me as well as something that makes me travel to all corners of the British Isles.

At the heart of it, every knitting project is a journey. You begin travelling as soon as you cast on and the process of your project is the road you are travelling. The language of geography is intertwined with the language of knitting: the yarn travels through our fingers, we have travelling stitches and we consult charts to help us navigate a challenging pattern. Then, as we near the end of our project, we have the diary of our trip in our lap. Do you remember the day that you worked the rib section? How happy you were to cross that river or climb that mountain? Or the evening you sat knitting dreaming of future adventures as you traversed across an endless desert of stocking stitch?

And it also means something else for me personally.

Currently I am knitting socks. They are the perfect travel project and they kept me entertained during my stay in Northern Ireland (no internet connection! it was lovely!). I have designed three sock patterns for the Old Maiden Aunt Sock Club 2015 (also three exclusive never-to-be-repeated OMA colourways) and I really, really enjoyed the experience. A sock is a very different canvas to, say, a shawl and I relished playing with this new-to-me canvas.

I am currently on my second almost-vanilla sock. This pair is just for me and my journeys around these isles. Who knows what will happen next.

Shouting Loudly About Wool - An Interview with Louise Scollay

As I mentioned the other day, I named my first cardigan design after one of the most inspirational people I know in the knitting world: Louise Scollay.

Louise lives in Shetland where she writes and blogs fuelled by her passion for wool - and especially good quality, local British yarns. She champions small local producers, encourages big companies to support the British wool industry and she is especially keen on making knitters aware that knitting British (or local) does not mean you have to spend a fortune. We have some incredible local yarns in Britain and we should be shouting to the heavens about them.

Needless to say, Louise and I get on very well! We share that passion for honest, authentic yarns that have a strong grounding in a particular landscape. Some people think I am mad for loving "rustic" yarns so much, but Louise understands. This shared understanding led to a good friendship and now .. an interview.

What makes you so passionate about championing wool - and particularly local, British wool?

When I started KnitBritish I just wanted to shout loudly about the wool I was using and really hoped that someone might find it interesting, learn something along with me and try British wool for themselves. Until a few years ago it never occurred to me to look at where the wool came from. I was just drawn to texture and colours. When I realised that there were over 60 breeds of sheep breeds in the UK - not to forget alpaca, angora, mohair and cashmere -  I just knew that I had to try them all (spoiler: I haven’t managed yet).

What I am passionate about now is trying to move us away from the idea that British wool is not suitable for next to skin wear, or it is not suitable for hand-knitting. There are plenty of UK sheep whose fleece is more suited to carpets and upholstery, but we have an amazing resource of wool - varied in handle, texture, colour, and characteristics - which are not enjoying their place in the country’s stash next to the merino that many knitters are drawn towards. British breed wool is astonishing! Each is unique and different, e.g. Bluefaced Leicester and Wensleydale are both longwool breeds, but they do not provide the same kind of fleece. I urge more people to just jump over to Blacker, select a ball of yarn that they have never tried before and just give it a go.

Blacker Yarns, ah yes. Their selection is amazing. I got a sampler back recently and it's mind-blowing just how different the various breeds knit up. I can see why it's an absorbing project to try out all the various breeds. Along the same lines, I have to ask: What are some of your favourite British yarns?

Going into Jamieson and Smith is like entering the best sweetie shop ever! In addition to the vast range of dyed colours, you can’t beat those natural colours. The fact that the wool just gets softer and warmer the more you wash and dress it means your knitted item has longevity. I am also a big fan of West Yorkshire Spinners. Recently more commercial yarn companies are starting to think British and that is really heartening.

This is true. when I began getting into local yarns, there were very few available from commercial companies. However, in the last couple of years, even the commercial selection has become huge. You mentioned going into J&S - you obviously live in Shetland. Do you think the complex knitting heritage of Shetland plays a part in your desire to champion local producers?

Knitting here has had its big peaks and bigger troughs. When I think of Shetland’s knitting heritage I think about subsistence knitting, the exploitation and poor wages of many knitters. I think of Shetland knitting being the forefront of fashion trends through the beginning of the 20th century and declining again, until the oil industry into the 80s helped boost the industry and economy. Knitting has never gone away here - granted much of the industry knitting in the past was done with little pleasure for the craft - but you can’t really chuck a ball of wool here without hitting someone who can knit. Knitting was even a part of the curriculum in Shetland schools for many years (until recently). I feel very rooted to that heritage, coming from knitting and crofting stock, and maybe that is why I feel strongly about supporting our home-grown wool resources. ​ KnitBritish started because I bought a yarn that came from a farm just a short trip from my back door, so it definitely started here.

Where can people learn more about local British yarns?

If anyone is interested in finding British breed wool there are three main havens for me; Blacker Yarns are a fantastic resource for British, organic, rare and specialist breeds. They source all fleece - and fibre for their alpaca and mohair yarns - from Britain and also from the Falkland Islands while all of the processing and spinning takes place in the UK. There is plenty of information on the characteristics of the wool, handle and information on the breed. Blacker is truly an invaluable resource and they are really committed to providing the best of British available. Garthernor is another excellent resource, particularly if you are looking for organic yarn. The website can be a little clunky to navigate, but it is jam-packed with information on sheep breeds and there is a shop. They do blends of British breeds as well, which adds new textural and colour interest. I always recommend that anyone interested in knitting with rare breed yarn, or in British sheep breeds in general, should look at the Rare Breeds Survival Trust website. There is a watch list of the critical, endangered, vulnerable and at risk breeds  - if you are interested in doing some small part in helping these breeds, knitting with their wool is a good place to start.

Finally, how has Knit British changed your knitting life?

…I think the most awesome thing is that I have been able meet such amazing people through what I do. I truly love the communities I find myself in through wool and knitting - particularly through social media. I count myself very lucky that someone I hadn’t met till this year (though I already called my friend) decided to name a cardigan pattern after me. That’s pretty awesome.

Well, you are pretty awesome, Louise.

Louise is part of the Wovember team and will also be cheerleading at the podcast lounge of the Edinburgh Yarn Festival. Go say hi to her!