Isobel Wylie Hutchison

Isobel Wylie Hutchison is the first in a new Knitrospective collection called Wayfarers and Wanderers. This first design is a one skein project for a long, narrow (if you like) chevron shawlette with alternating stocking stitch and mesh panels.

You will need:

• One skein of 4ply yarn in fibre content of your choice - samples are in The Woolchemist Merino Linen mix and Baby Alpaca, Linen, Tussah Silk Blend.
• 3.5-4*mm+ 60-80cm circular needle or straights. 
• *Why not experiment with needle gauge and yarn - eg 4mm needle for more drape and a wider shawlette or a 5mm needle with 600mm of brushed merino or boucle lace?
• 4 stitch markers and a tapestry needle

Choose to download a larger format A4 or A5 booklet version.

Wayfarers and Wanderers is a new Knitrospective collection of designs inspired by late Victorian and early Edwardian woman in Scotland. They were all literal ‘walkers’ - hikers and travellers who explored the wider world or Scotland’s rich physical landscape. They were also pathfinders and discoverers who led the way for others in challenging societal expectations to do the unexpected in their occupations, pastimes and creative work.

Isobel Wylie Hutchison (1889-1982) was a traveller, botanist, linguist, early documentary film maker and writer. There are works by Wylie Hutchison in National Geographic (eg of her travels to the Arctic), and plant discoveries in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, Kew Gardens and The British Museum. She was an extraordinary polymath, exploring the world from Japan, Russia to Palestine, but with a particular delight and connection to Greenland, Alaska and Iceland. 

Returning to Scotland between trips, limited because of strictures related to war, and later to age and arthritis, Isobel Wylie Hutchison would always walk - or as she put it - ‘stroll’. These ‘strolls’ included Blairgowrie to Edinburgh, Barra to Lewis and were often documented for National Geographic with their first woman photographer, Kathleen Revis.