A BIT MORE ABOUT US
Kathy Coull
Brought up in Melrose a 'Border's Bairn' and a longterm Fair Isle resident. Has a textile background in both traditional and contemporary skills and practices. Links the past to the present over geographic areas through bringing you unique textile experiences including World Host Accredited hospitality, with thanks to the experts she knows and has had the privilege of knowing.
Anne Sinclair
Has Fair Isle in her blood. Generations of Fair Isle knitting forebears, Fair Isle historian and museum curator. Teacher, lecturer and writer. Creator of the world renowned Fair Isle Fisherman's Kep Pattern amongst many others designs.
Anne Eunson
BA Contemporary Textiles Graduate. Shetland Lace and Fair Isle Knitting expert. Textile Artist who has explored knitting from the finest, smallest pieces to the extraordinarily large!
Katherine Montgomery
Katherine likes to create things, everything from the house in Kentucky she designed, built, and lives in to the hand-woven jacket on her back and the hand-knit socks on her feet. She has been making baskets for the last 25 years and teaches classes in the U.S.A and in Shetland. Her current passion is making garments starting from clipping the sheep, hand-spinning and dyeing the fleece, hand-weaving the fabric, designing and finally sewing the end product.
Jessie McCaffery
A retired Head Teacher who taught in Fair Isle for many years, she is now a member of the Edinburgh Guild of Spinners and Weavers and the Haddington Spinners and Weavers group. Primarily a knitter, Jessie also spins and weaves. She was an award winner at the 2018 National SWD Guild Exhibition for a wedding taatit rug made as a present for her granddaughter’s marriage.
Charlotte Beattie
Worked with Shetland Arts for 3 years programming events and functions. Thinks this event at Abbotsford has a lot to offer. As well as having the same first name as Scott’s wife she has a couple of things in common with him, loves her dog and the Borders!
Dennis McCaffery
Likes cooking for large family gatherings, but equally at home in more formal catering situations. Wholesome food, plain or adventurous. Guaranteed to keep us sustained!
Stephanie Tristam
Stephanie returned to full time education aged 43 to pursue a lifelong ambition to study textiles and design in the Scottish Borders. She subsequently lived and worked in the Shetland Islands, teaching art and design as a lecturer for the University of the Highlands and Islands. She has absolute respect for the world renowned Shetland textile tradition, grounded as it is in sustainability and heritage: a beacon in the global fashion world.
Her Masters degree focussed on this tradition and The Fabric of Society gave voice to Shetland lace and Fair Isle knitters. She continues to inspire the current generation of designer makers with her knowledgeable academic focus. She is also an enthusiastic communicator of the fundamental, and joyous importance of creativity, making and sharing which is at the heart of this wonderful week at Abbotsford
B Sc. Hons Sociology LSE
MA Education Edinburgh
B.Sc Hons Industrial Design (Textiles) Scottish College of Textiles
MA CAD Textiles Heriot Watt
