Knitting is not something that is synonymous with younger generations in Edinburgh but one young woman is proving that the art is alive and kicking.
Lyndsey Currie, 28, from Edinburgh, was blown away when her products were picked up by a pop-up store in St James Quarter last month.
The textiles graduate, who honed her craft at Duncan & Jordanstone college of art and design in Dundee, says that this is the first time that her hand crafted lambswool snoods and head bands had been picked up by a store inside a major city shopping centre.
Lyndsey’s clothing was picked up by the ‘Support the Makers’ pop-up - which was only open for four days last week - and was sold alongside 30+ other individuals' creations within the shop.
She set up her own business on Etsy at the tail end of 2019 after working as a textiles teacher at her former university whilst covering a sabbatical.
But then Covid struck and she was left to try to navigate the difficulties of starting a new business during a pandemic - something that she said actually worked out well.
And the Etsy business operator says that she feels knitting is experiencing a revival with customers looking for more sustainable clothing with a homemade touch.
On this she said: “Everyone knows what knitting is, as most people would say ‘oh my granny showed me how to knit’ or some older people remember it from school.
“But I’ve taken great pride in being able to show it is not all baby blankets and clothes and that it can be fashionable and sustainable.
“I personally use lambs wool because of its sustainable qualities and if you look after an item of clothing made from this material then it can last forever which is important for the climate.
“Personally I don't know what it was like running a business before Covid as I pretty much started it at the beginning of the pandemic.
“But I’ve heard that a lot of people have become more supportive of small businesses because of what is going on.
“I think there is a revival for knitting and people are a bit more aware and looking for things that would help the environment.
“We are seeing the resurgence of refillable shops that are popping up everywhere and I guess you could say there is an awakening.
“There has always been a market for smaller independent businesses but there has definitely been more of a push for it recently so it was amazing to take part in the pop-up.
“People are making knitting cool again and you just have to look at its use in fashion shows or even by celebrities like Tom Daley.”
What makes the creative stand out is her use of a 1970’s domestic knitting machine that is regarded as a temperamental piece of equipment.
She uses her living room and flat as her own studio and creates the items of clothing that are then picked up by businesses such as the V&A museum in Dundee, as well as by artisan shops in the same city, the Isle of Skye and the Gairloch museum.
On the pop-up and whether she would like to open her own store one day, Lyndsey said: “The pop-up shop ended last Sunday but there will be more coming later this year, with one expected in August and another in December.
“There is space in St James that is empty and people can hire it out, so I got asked to contribute to the ‘Support the Makers’ pop-up.
“There were 30+ makers in that space and it was set up like a shop for the four days. All with handmade goods such as handmade jewellery, knitwear and ceramics.
“I was so excited as it was the first time my products had been sold and advertised in a big shopping centre.
“I normally sell it wholesale to artisan stores in Dundee, and elsewhere in Scotland.
“Ultimately I only want to be a supplier. Running a shop has too many distractions and I want to create. I’ve noticed that a lot of knitting shops have struggled to get off the ground so I am quite happy in the position that I am.”
Her advice for anyone looking to make a career out of knitting or to begin the art as a hobby is: “From what I’ve seen and from teaching myself, the industry is more female dominated but then most of the textiles departments at colleges and universities are. Although ultimately it is for everyone.
“You can go to college or university and study a course that specialises in knitting. You can even do a masters in knitwear at Galashiels down the borders.
“Even on Instagram you see a wave of new knitters that are out there and there are also traditional factories that operate down Hawik. There are lots of opportunities for young people.
“The one obstacle is that knitting machines are not cheap and I would not have done it if I had not picked it up at university.
“That being said, you can get cheap second hand machines and can attempt to follow tutorial videos on youtube but to be honest sometimes that is just an old lady with a poor camera angle which is not the most helpful.
“But I’d say just go for it and try to find ways to get involved. I do feel it needs to be more accessible but we are definitely seeing knitting return to the forefront of fashion.”
To view some of Lyndsey’s products you can visit her Etsy Store here.
You are also able to visit her Instagram here.
