The Journal of Scottish Yarns is a new bi-annual journal focussing on community, history, culture and creativity of textiles in Scotland.
Issue 1 contains 8 patterns with full instructions, all inspired by Scotland and using Scottish materials:
Knitting: cowl in 2 sizes, versatile tabard, slipover designed to layer over dresses, a shawl evoking Hebridean beaches
Crochet: a summer top, waterfall front cardigan, fingerless mitts
Crewelwork design inspired by The Great Tapestry of Scotland
The features start with an overview of Scottish textile history illustrated by panels from The Great Tapestry and a beautifully illustrated piece on the 10 native sheep breeds of Scotland
The stories of several textile related people and businesses, from Iona Wool to The Border Mill and Newburgh Handloom Weavers, supplement this, along with articles about the making of a tapestry in Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios and the symbolism of sunflowers, used to not-so-innocently show support to the Jacobite cause, via embroidery.