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My background is in textile design, and I love experimenting with knitting ideas and colors.

See below for some history...

I loved color and pattern as a child, and spent a lot of time drawing and painting. I learned stranded knitting at home at an early age and went on to study textile design at the National College of Art in Dublin, Ireland (1983-87). At the time students were encouraged to keep a notebook to sketch ideas, and to collect postcards and cuttings for inspiration.

 

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After college, I worked in the printed textile industry in London and Milan (the note book pages above date from my time in Milan). Much of my spare time in London (1987-89) was spent traveling along the Piccadilly Line exploring various museums and galleries: the Egyptian and Mediterranean collections of the British Museum, Asian textiles and decorative arts at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the National Gallery's gilded altarpieces and historical portraits with their great variety of characters and costumes from over the centuries (some examples below).

 

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In Milan (1989-95), I made my living selling hand-painted textile designs to a number of mills and studios in the Como region, between Milan and the Alps, home to a long-established silk industry. Northern Italy's range of architectural styles, the general interest in design and detail and the opportunity of train travel in all directions from Milan's Stazione Centrale all contributed to a daily education in design. It was wonderful to experience the fashion and textile industry at first hand while living in Milan – most of the big designers' stores are located in a compact area - my favourite being Romeo Gigli (below are some images of his famous collections dating from 1989-90).

 

 

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Holidays in Greece, Morocco and Iceland have been stand-outs for inspiration.

Greece has scintillating light, whitewashed churches with dark interiors full of icons and chandeliers, museums with regional costumes and ceramics, and brightly painted fishing boats.

 

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Morocco (below) also has fabulous clear light, as well as intriguing architecture, tiles, carpets, various textile traditions and beautiful mountain scenery.

 

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I loved Iceland's breathtaking volcanic landscapes and waterfalls, distinctive little towns, and numerous small museums with natural history displays, knitting collections and vintage photographs.

 

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I love traveling to places with strong knitting & textile traditions - Estonia & Latvia (below) was a great knitting-themed trip.

 

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When traveling I seek out ethnographic museums in search of unusual clothing, textiles and objects, (examples below).

 

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Finally, the west of Ireland (where my roots are) has beautifully colored landscapes, and wild Atlantic beaches with an infinite variety of delicate sand patterns created by the flowing tides (below is a collage of photos from Ireland and the Greek islands).

 

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​Happy knitting! Information on the techniques I use can be found on the knit/lab help page. If you have any comments or questions, please contact me.