In the Studio

South Lighthouse. My studio is in the lighthouse buildings overlooking the sea which allows me to drink tea whilst watching the waves roll and crash into the cove.

The Lighthouse lights up the island at night and sometimes it can be seen twinkling on a dark cloudy day.

Home spun yarn. Mary Kiehn spins the most beautiful artisan wools which she sends in through the post. When a plane comes in with mail I often find a bag of this wool waiting for me on the table at home. The rest of my yarn comes from Jamiesons woollen mill.  They sell hundreds of colours of wool grown and spun in Shetland.

It can be blowing with Hurricane force outside, the waves can be enormous, curling over in deep turquoise rolls but I'm always calm and safe inside. The lighthouse has withstood years of battering howling winds and whilst my car has lost a rear windscreen since I've been parking outside the lighthouse, I have always felt as cosy as a lighthouse keeper inside. When the wind changes direction and eases itself through the window panes I wrap up in three fleece jumpers and a thick blanket. On days like this I huddle against the heater to weave. 

I work with cones of wool, some oiled, some washed depending on what I am working on. I also like to have a good supply of balled yarn for details. The range of colours of Shetland wool allow tapestry work with a consistent finish.