{"title":"Kate Davies Books","description":"\u003cp\u003eLoop also stocks some of Kate's single patterns. I live in a small steading on the edge of the Scottish Highlands where I love writing, designing, and walking in the wonderful landscapes that surround me. I find that all of these activities have a creative and a critical dimension and the best of possible worlds is one in which I productively combine them all. Some days I feel like a writer who enjoys designing knitwear, on others I seem to be a designer preoccupied with textile history. I have written books and feature articles on a wide range of topics from the American Revolution to the history of lace. I combine my interests in writing and knitwear design in my popular books, Colours of Shetland (2012) and Yokes (2015). I like my choice of materials to have a genuine connection to the landscape in which I live and work, and I feel strongly that part of my role as a designer and writer is to promote and support the British wool and textiles that I love. In this capacity, I’ve successfully worked with several small wool producers, as well as different museums, charities, and heritage organisations (for example, Shetland Amenity Trust, and Gawthorpe Textiles). I’ve been an ambassador of Shetland Wool Week, my designs have featured on BBC TV, and my website is archived by the British Library as part of its project to preserve national documentary heritage.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"shetland-oo-kate-davies","title":"Shetland Oo - Kate Davies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePhotography by Tom Barr \u0026amp; words by Kate Davies\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWool—or in Shetlandic, Oo—has for centuries figured centrally in island life. Hardy, colourful, characterful sheep have adapted over millennia to a challenging climate, and Shetlanders have always put their fine fleeces to good use, in beautiful, distinctive textiles ranging from woven tweeds to Fairisle handknits. From croft to creative enterprise, wool remains at the heart of many island industries today, and this collaborative documentary project reveals the many different kinds of work that oo supports. In these pages you’ll meet the fascinating graders, breeders, tanners, artists, designers, knitters, weavers, hand spinners, knitwear manufacturers and retailers, who, in so many different ways, have made their lives in oo. Photographed by Tom Barr, and with accompanying essays and profiles written by Kate Davies, this book is produced in celebration of the vital contemporary work of Shetland wool.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGet inspired by our selection of over 175 colours of J\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/loopknitting.com\/collections\/jamiesons-of-shetland\" title=\"Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift Wool\"\u003eamieson's Shetland Spindrift \u003c\/a\u003ewool.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kate Davies","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42744843501776,"sku":"SHOOKD","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0552\/9350\/9840\/products\/OOatLoopLondon.webp?v=1653836930"},{"product_id":"sark-kate-davies","title":"Sark - Kate Davies \u0026 Tom Barr","description":"\u003cp\u003eSark (n) a simple shirt or chemise\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSark (v) to clothe, to provide with clothing\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSark (n) the underlying structure of a roof or building\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSark (v) to line or underpin\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Scots, a sark is an essential layer, the foundation of any outfit. In her new collection, Kate Davies has created twelve foundational designs with structure and simplicity at their heart. Featuring a technique of twisting stitches that produces fabric with a beautifully textured and embossed appearance, each pattern explores the creative potential of the twisted stitch in pieces that are engaging to knit and easy to wear. There’s a comfortable oversized gansey, a smart cardigan with panels and puffed sleeves, a pair of yoke sweaters, a cosy wrap, and an appealing range of quick-to-knit one-skein accessories, all designed with the clear instructions and clean finishing details that are hallmarks of Kate’s work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book also includes a collection of thought-provoking monochrome images, as Tom explores ideas of pattern and structure in the natural world and built environment. A celebration of collaborative, creative making, Sark is a book as beautiful as it is useful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e12 patterns (6 garments, 6 accessories) for \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/loopknitting.com\/collections\/dk-double-knit-weight-yarns\" title=\"Dk Yarns at Loop London\"\u003eDK \/ sportweight \u003c\/a\u003eyarn. Introduction by Kate Davies plus interview with Norah Gaughan\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDesigned and Printed in Scotland \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kate Davies","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43045462016208,"sku":"KSAB3823B","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0552\/9350\/9840\/products\/SarkatLoopLondon.png?v=1664199934"},{"product_id":"kate-davies-west-highland-way","title":"Kate Davies - The West Highland Way","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKnit, Read, Walk: The West Highland Way\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKate Davies and Tom Barr live by Scotland's best-loved long-distance walking route: the West Highland Way. In this collaborative creative project they celebrate their home, their workplace, and the landscape which inspires them every day. Kate began by creating a collection of twelve hand-knit designs, each with its own distinctive story to tell. Balanced equally between garments and accessories, you might choose to knit a tweedy cardigan which echoes the mossy palette of Conic Hill, a delicate jumper recalling a favourite plant found on Rannoch Moor, or a shawl sparked by the energy of the Highlands' first electric village. Each design is paired with an exploratory essay which sets Kate's designs and inspiration in their richer context. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFrom Rob Roy's romantic (mis)representation to the beautiful songs of Donnchadh Bàn; from Loch Lomond's built environment to ways of seeing Rannoch Moor, Kate's writing reveals the West Highland Way as, first and foremost, a social landscape with an important cultural history. Kate's words and designs are accompanied by Tom's stunning photography, depicting the West Highland Way in all seasons of the year.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe book comes with a Ravelry download code for a PDF of the patterns and book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e128 pp. Printed by Bell \u0026amp; Bain in Glasgow\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kate Davies","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43641829916880,"sku":"MKAP8830H","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0552\/9350\/9840\/files\/Screenshot2023-10-30at17.16.02.png?v=1698686218"},{"product_id":"argylls-secret-coast-kate-davies","title":"Argyll's Secret Coast - Kate Davies","description":"\u003cp id=\"isPasted\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eJoin Kate, Tom and friends on a journey through a beautiful corner of Argyll. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThrough words and pictures, knitting and writing, history and photography, this book explores the beautiful and intriguing landscape of Cowal, also known as Argyll’s Secret Coast. Geographically proximate to lowland Scotland but topographically distinct; separated from the Highlands by land, yet united to the whole of Argyll by water; Cowal’s is a landscape of hidden places, surprising tales, and many secrets. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis book celebrates the Secret Coast, but in doing so it also asks a series of larger questions about what it means to make—and make up—the story of a place. How do we read the traces of the past in the spaces of the present? What do we see when we look at Cowal’s marginal and coastal landscapes? Which local tales are best remembered, and which narratives really deserve commemoration? \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe book includes a stunning collection of 12 brand-new designs by Kate, beautiful photography by Tom, and a series of thought-provoking essays exploring the history, landscape and built heritage of the Secret Coast from writers Alex Hale, Michael Hartley, Jamie Stewart Jones, Gilbert Márkus and Stephen Mullen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e136pp. Designed and printed in Scotland. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kate Davies","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53472478757241,"sku":"MARP12199H","price":24.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0552\/9350\/9840\/files\/asc-cover_1.webp?v=1727100401"},{"product_id":"knitting-wester-ross-kate-davies","title":"Knitting Wester Ross - Kate Davies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWester Ross is sometimes described as Scotland’s last wilderness, but this extraordinary place of high mountains, dramatic lochs and sweeping coastline has also been profoundly shaped by community and culture. Here, Pictish artists carved their mysterious stones, Bronze Age settlers built innovative roundhouses, and resourceful crofters shaped the landscape through the seasonal rhythms of shoreline and shieling. Taking inspiration from the objects, places and people of Wester Ross, Kate is joined by local writers Karen Buchanan and Jeremy Fenton to explore the landscape’s important human story. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn Kate’s design collection, you’ll find a warm cardigan in memory of the Arctic Convoys, a lace shawl whose edging references an innovative use of shells as tools, and signature stranded colourwork inspired by local industry and Gaelic song. Kate commemorates the life of teacher and activist Kay Matheson with the iconic \u003cem\u003eSkirt of Destiny\u003c\/em\u003e, while talented guest designer Lucy Hague contributes a showstopping Pictish wrap featuring reversible travelling cables. Illustrated throughout with Tom’s glorious photography, this book will inspire you to pick up your needles and take a trip to Wester Ross. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e13 patterns are included in the book\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eContributors: Tom Barr, Karen Buchanan, Kate Davies, Jeremy Fenton and Lucy Hague.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e136 pp. Designed and printed in Scotland.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kate Davies","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57308146893177,"sku":"MKNP16512H","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0552\/9350\/9840\/files\/knitting-wester-ross-cover-hi-res.webp?v=1779275431"},{"product_id":"davaar-kate-davies","title":"Davaar - Kate Davies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eLooking out beyond the lighthouse, there is once again that restless end-of-summer feeling: to knit a sweater, to tell a story, to turn your face to the sun as you prepare for darker nights and colder days ... \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e*A collection of 10 designs, inspired by a beautiful tidal landscape\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e*Essays and photography, celebrating the island and its story\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLike many other artists, makers and writers, Kate Davies and Tom Barr have been inspired by Davaar, the spectacular tidal island whose rocky silhouette defines the Campbeltown coastline.  Kate began by creating a new collection of garments and accessories and, alongside this balanced and varied range of Scottish knitwear, Kate and Tom tell the story of Davaar in words and pictures exploring the shifting relationship of land and water, the island’s distinctive and immediately recognisable built structures, its interesting wartime experience, and the controversial painting and preservation of what is now its most famous feature. With Tom’s beautiful photography celebrating the landscape of south Kintyre, this is a book to be inspired by, and to think with, as well as to knit from. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt’s time to cast on, and to set forth for Davaar. . . \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e112pp. Designed and printed in Scotland.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kate Davies","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57308187787641,"sku":"MDAP16514H","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0552\/9350\/9840\/files\/davaar-cover-lo-res-rgb.webp?v=1779276906"},{"product_id":"making-light-kate-davies","title":"Making Light - Kate Davies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCelebrating the seasonal contrast between darkness and illumination, in this collection of two-tone knits, Kate Davies has created a book full of cold-weather inspiration. A trick of the light that’s only ever seen in winter is echoed in the structural motifs of \u003cem\u003eSun Pillars\u003c\/em\u003e, while the spectacle of planetary alignment inspired allover colourwork hoody, \u003cem\u003eClanjamfrie\u003c\/em\u003e. Kate has an abiding love of bold, rhythmic, two-tone patterns, which she explores through classic silhouettes like the \u003cem\u003eBlue Monk\u003c\/em\u003e gansey and \u003cem\u003eLilias Day\u003c\/em\u003e yoke pullover, alongside contemporary shapes like oversized, drop-sleeved \u003cem\u003eCiar\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e All of these pieces are intended to be both warm and practical: why not knit a cosy smock with accommodating  pockets or a deep-fronted cowl which can be squirrelled away inside a jacket and bundled up around the ears? Featuring fourteen gloriously graphic designs, and including twisted stitches and structural lace to complement Kate’s signature colourwork, you’ll be truly spoilt for choice while Making Light.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBook includes 14 patterns (8 garments, 6 accessories) for DK weight yarn.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e104 pp. Designed and printed in Scotland.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kate Davies","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57308206793081,"sku":"MMAP16515H","price":25.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0552\/9350\/9840\/files\/making-light-cover-jpeg.webp?v=1779277678"},{"product_id":"colour-at-work-kate-davies","title":"Colour at Work - Kate Davies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom the colourful work of contemporary artists and makers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eBe colour confident\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs you discover how chromatic creativity is something you can practice every day.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn this book for thinkers and makers of all kinds, Kate Davies and Felicity Ford interrogate and celebrate that most unruly of creative concepts - colour.  This is not a book in which you will find any so-called colour theories or illusory quick fixes for your chromatic questions. Rather, in a series of lively, engaging and beautifully-illustrated essays, Kate, Felix and their friends around the world generously share the ideas and approaches that have helped them to develop ways of working with colour that are curiosity-driven, bold and fun.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEarly sections of the book shine a critical light on that most persuasive of chromatic objects, the colour wheel, examine debates surrounding colour’s cultural value, and explore how contemporary chromatic ideas have been shaped by historic standards and technologies. Dispelling myths that anyone might inherently be either “good” or “bad” with colour, later chapters encourage creative play and confidence through accessible, life-affirming everyday practices. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFinally, in the book’s closing section, colour is revealed as a connecting thread, weaving its way through many different aspects of identity and experience. Colour is the rich resource with which we knit and stitch and document the story of our time on earth. Colour can bring us back to ourselves as we develop intuitive and self-trusting ways of working. And we can turn to colour whenever we feel the need to use the work of our own hands to question the world in which we live.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWith your own creative hands, how will you make colour work?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEditors\u003c\/strong\u003e: Kate Davies \u0026amp; Felicity Ford\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContributors\u003c\/strong\u003e: Max Alexander, Tom Barr, Janine Bajus, Flora Collingwood-Norris, Kate Davies, Felix Ford,  Ella Gordon, Jeanette Sloan, Tressa Weidenaar, Ottilia Westerlund \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e120 pp. Designed and produced in Scotland\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kate Davies","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57308287631737,"sku":"MCOP16516H","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0552\/9350\/9840\/files\/caw-front-cover_05048ee1-e426-4553-8fb9-f9324ef16807.webp?v=1779279126"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0552\/9350\/9840\/collections\/cat_667.jpg?v=1631894318","url":"https:\/\/loopknitting.com\/en-euddp\/collections\/kate-davies.oembed","provider":"Loop Knitting","version":"1.0","type":"link"}