Tag: Rip it Up and Start Again
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Falling and Laughing: or, why I love Orange Juice and loathe Spandau Ballet
On November 13th, 1980 Spandau Ballet made their Top of the Pops debut with their first single, To Cut a Long Story Short. Coiffed, primped and styled to within an inch of their lives, the north London quintet had kitted themselves out in full Highland dress for the occasion, complete with kilts, sashes, sporrans and…
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Postcard
Good morning! It’s time for a new Rip it Up (and Start Again) release, and today’s design is called Postcard. Postcard is a contemporary gansey, that’s worked from the top down. While the front features a series of highly textured twisted stitch panels, the back is plain-sailing stockinette. The upper back is worked first, and…
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After the flood
Good morning! It’s Rip it Up pattern release day and, happily, after a couple of days without power here in Kintyre, we are fully back online. Perhaps appropriately, given the wild autumn weather, today’s design has a post-apocalyptic theme: After the Flood. After the Flood is a textured, cocooning cardigan that’s worked from the top-down.…
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Six creative lessons from Herbie Hancock
Apologies about the delay to your Sunday newsletter: following a severe storm this weekend, we are currently dealing with a power outage in South Kintyre, and I’m posting this from the library in Campbeltown. I’m hoping our electricity will be restored in good time for this week’s pattern release (which very much depends on our…
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heid hunter & veedon fleece
Good morning! I have two accessory designs inspired by two very different classic albums for you today: Van Morrison’s Veedon Fleece and Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters. Both albums were recorded in 1973 (which was also the year that I was born). Why these two albums? Let me explain. Five years ago I designed a hat…
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Blue in Green and me
Good morning, and welcome to your Rip it Up (and Start Again) Sunday newsletter. Today’s long read explores my personal connection to ‘Blue in Green’, which you can hear on this week’s two classic albums, both recorded in 1959: Miles Davis’ ‘Kind of Blue’ and Bill Evans’ Portrait in Jazz. “Thanks, Dad!” It was my…