I live and work on the small Orkney island of Flotta.  I've been knitting, designing and writing since I was small and enjoy bringing traditional stitches to modern knitters. I have self-published several books, including Patterns for North Ronaldsay Yarn, The Gansey Workbook, The Fair Isle Workbook, Exploring Shawl Shapes and the Fine Spinning Workbook. I am the author of the best-selling ‘The Magic of Shetland Lace Knitting’ and 'Magical Shetland Shawls to Knit', published by Search Press in the UK and St Martins in the USA, both of which have been widely translated.  I am the editor of 'Centenary Stitches', a book of patterns updated from the WW1 era.

And I have been teaching for ever!  It has always been something I enjoyed doing, both in the academic world and in the world of crafts.  Skillshare gives me a chance to share my skills with people all over the world without having to travel.  Perfect!

Find my books at www.northernlacepress.co.uk and my patterns at www.northernlace.co.uk                                                                                                                                                                        

Read my blog here, join my Ravelry group here and my Facebook group here.  And follow me on Twitter here.

For most of my classes my cameraman is Natasha Stead.  I think she does a brilliant job, but then, I would.  She happens to be my granddaughter!  I film my classes in my home, so there are sometimes noises off.  The barks are from my Scottie, Isla, a rescue aged 10 who I have had for 2 years.  The aircraft are the inter-island planes, 9 seaters, which go to and fro between the different Orkney islands.