In 2017 we ran a survey of Stitchmastery users and one response particularly caught our imagination – someone told us they would like to hear from other Stitchmastery users and how they make use of the software. We’re delighted to bring you a series of interviews with designers, tech editors, magazine editors and teachers – we hope you enjoy reading them!

Interviewee – Dr Alison Mayne of Knitrospective

1) When did you start designing? Could you give us a potted history of your knitting and designing background?

When I was studying for my PhD (exploring perception of wellbeing through knit and crochet for women who shared their making on social media – another story!) I was travelling between Edinburgh and Sheffield constantly, knitting on the train. As part of problem-solving and / or procrastinating, I began to play with my own shawl patterns. When I completed my studies in 2018, I officially launched Knitrospective as a design practice. I have 14 self-published designs available via my own website and on Payhip and several designs in The Journal of Scottish Yarns. I teach knit, crochet and spinning at my studio near Falkirk, Scotland.

2) Do you have any recurring sources of inspiration or unusual muses for your design work?

Stories about people, places or language always come first for me: half of my designs are for a collection called Women in the Stacks, all inspired by the first women librarians of interesting libraries around the UK. Some fought to be recognised at the beginning of the twentieth century, like Frances Underhill working at the Bodleian Library in Oxford or Annie Stirling at the University of Glasgow Library; Wendy Kirk is the only living librarian named in the collection so far, leading Glasgow Women’s Library (where the pattern is also available). An architectural feature of the library sparks the design, but the person and story drives the inspiration.

3) When you have an idea, do you always work to a set workflow (eg swatch-knit-chart or chart first then knit) or does your approach change with each design?

I always sketch first, working out pattern details on squared paper. I have an out-of-control number of sketchpads and notebooks with multiple versions of ideas where I have worked through designs! The next stage might be to go straight to an experimental make if I know with confidence how a pattern will work out. Where there is a more complex lace pattern, I need to calculate metreage more closely or I want to experiment further with textures, I will make several swatches in different yarns before trialling the first of several versions.

4) What made you choose to use Stitchmastery? Is there a particular feature you use most regularly or couldn’t do without? And is there anything you wish Stitchmastery could do?

Because I like to sketch out using squared paper (even grading sweater sizes!) Stitchmastery is a very intuitive choice for me to move easily between hand-notations and creating electronic records for myself, formulating patterns for self-published pdfs or for sharing with others for professional publications.

I like that there is a variety of styles to suit personal preferences or style guides and I have the Dot pdf open for reference fairly constantly when I am putting a new design together. The simplicity of the line design communicates so clearly – for example, I have been using Estonian Gather Stitches recently and what could be a complex idea to explain can be expressed so succinctly employing well-thought-through graphics on Stitchmastery.

5) Please tell us about your latest publication or next exciting project!

The Robach Shawl (pictured below) was my first foray into independent publishing with The Journal of Scottish Yarns: it’s in Issue 3. It’s now newly available through my Payhip store. The design focuses on spring flowers and my inspiration came from the Hebridean Marsh Orchids that bloom in just a few areas of machair on the Uist coastline. The shawl is knit in The Woolchemist merino and silk 4ply with lace echoing the shape of the orchid flowers in mohair silk.

Robach is my most recently self-published pattern, alongside the Quill Shawl which was designed to celebrate the Woolchemist 2024 Yarn Advent Calendar. It’s inspired by Regency Romantasy, reading in window seats and swirling around at a ball!

In the design pipeline are further pieces for forthcoming Journal of Scottish Yarn issues, including a sweater inspired by the Scottish Crannog Centre. More Women in the Stacks patterns inspired by the stories of librarians and libraries are on their way – the prototype for Shetland Library is nearly finished!

Learn more about Alison:

You can find Alison’s designs on her website and on Payhip. You can keep up to date with her on Instagram.