Considering that this turned out to be the quickest I ever managed to get a design from initial idea to published pattern, this design came very close to not happening at all.
I grew up in Glasgow surrounded by the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and, if I’m honest, had grown a little jaded with it by the time we moved to London thanks to the proliferation of Mackintosh-inspired tea cosies, tea towels, fridge magnets and place-mats. When I saw the brief for the Glasgow School of Yarn design competition, I was sure I wouldn’t be able to come up with something that I thought was worth entering but I couldn’t stop mulling it over.
Then I thought about how much I had always loved the simple elegance of his furniture and, in particular, the chairs. A little online research led me to the tall, narrow ladderback decorative chairs that he designed for The Hill House in Helensburgh. Click here to see a picture of one of the chairs in its original location.
Initially, I was going to use the geometric pattern in a sock but, much as I loved the pattern, I just couldn’t get it to work as a sock. A scarf was the obvious alternative and the two-colour pattern immediately suggested double knitting.
I used Malabrigo Sock in Natural and Chocolate Amargo for the sample and it’s wonderfully soft and snuggly. The double layer also makes it very warm, perfect for autumn and winter in Glasgow!
The Hill House Scarf is now available from Yellow Ginger Designs and Ravelry.
