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Less is more
I think that one of the most fascinating aspects of designing is the fact that you are coming up with something which has no prior existence. Designing is essentially experimenting, and a large part of...
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YOKES! Have your say
As you know, I’ve been working on a new book / design collection for most of this year. My work has involved . . . . . . examining a huge amount of yoke patterns . . . . . . thinking about the...
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. . .to meet a yoke hero
I have been excited about this for weeks – and can’t quite believe that tomorrow I am going to Göteborg to meet with Kerstin Olsson. For those of you who don’t know, Olsson was one of the group of...
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Brilliant women
Hello! I’m back again after a fantastic (and productive) couple of weeks research. I’ve had an amazing time in Sweden and Shetland, but what has really stood out to me about this past fortnight is the...
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yoke 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...
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knitter-producers and knitter-consumers
(This is a body and sleeves, knitted up on her machine by Ella Gordon, onto which I’m about to hand-knit a colourwork yoke. Hundreds of thousands of such garments were – and indeed still are – made in...
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yoke collection
One of the many fun elements of researching my book has been seeking out yoked sweaters on eBay and in charity shops. I have learned a lot from these garments, which are often a hybrid of machine and...
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Finishing touches
So my final yoke is DONE! I couldn’t resist showing you a peek while it is blocking on the dress form. This one has been so interesting both to design and to produce and I am really very pleased with...
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knitwear and cultural relativism
One of the issues I’ve found myself thinking about an awful lot while writing my book is how knitwear “traditions” are never completely national or regional in origin, but are always interwoven and...
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a heads up
This is just to let you know that I shall shortly be (temporarily) closing my online shop. Just a handful of kits remain, and the remaining stock of my totes and tea-towels are all on sale! The reason...
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out and about
I can’t believe quite how much my horizons seem to have expanded in the fortnight since I passed my driving test. Every day I’ve been able to take Bruce somewhere different for a walk. As you can...
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Epistrophy
Well, it is time to introduce you to the first yoke from my new collection. Meet Epistrophy. Epistrophy is the title of a Be Bop “standard” composed and popularised by Thelonius Monk in 1942. The tune...
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Westering Home
Here is another new yoke – this one is named Westering Home I developed the idea for this design across on the ferry to Islay, one of my favourite Hebridean locations. On my frequent trips there, I...
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Frost at Midnight
Here is another yoke – Frost at Midnight. One of the things I’ve become interested in recently is the idea of the yoke as jewellery. Knitted yokes not only behave in much the same way as a necklace –...
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Ásta Sóllilja
Here is today’s yoke – Ásta Sóllilja. I began this design with the idea of using colour to create a transition from deep blue to silver grey around the edges of a jumper. I wanted the edges of the...
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Fintry
I wanted to include a smart, simple cardigan in my yoke collection. Something in a single colour; that might provide a showcase for a beautiful hand-dyed yarn; a garment that would be easy to wear and...
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Yokes is available for pre-order! . . . and here is Buchanan
Good morning! I’m extremely happy to announce that Yokes is now available for pre-order . . . and while I’m at it, I thought I’d show you another design. This yoke is called Buchanan. One of the many...
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Keith Moon
AHOY THERE! Today’s yoke is called Keith Moon (bear with me . . . ) I wanted to include a sixties-inspired, mod yoke in this collection: a sweater that would be really easy for even a beginner-knitter...
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Foxglove
Here is another yoke — this one’s name is self-explanatory — Foxglove. One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about my first year of rural living has been the wildflowers that grow around my home. Just...
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Bluebells
Good morning! Here is today’s yoke from my new book – Bluebells. In the 1950s and 60s, there was a particularly popular style of sweater featuring a rather narrow circular yoke. In such garments, the...
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