I feel quite inspired by the environment around me. The public transport knits started in the summer of 2023. My partner was living in Dublin at the time, so I was using the public transport there frequently. The DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transport) is striking with its shades of green and yellow. I wanted to challenge myself to translate it into knitted form and thus, the DART hat was brought into existence. It was a really fun idea, so I started making more hats based on various forms of public transport.
I had been knitting regular jumpers, cardigans and socks for many years before discovering my love of colourwork motifs. For my dog’s 17th birthday, who has since passed away, I knit a jumper with her face on it. I really enjoyed the process of creating a chart and knitting intarsia. It felt very satisfying and engaging, and I was really excited to start the project each day. A few months later, I set myself the goal of not purchasing any new yarn until I used what I had. I thought colourwork would be the best way to use up small amounts of yarn and so I started making different charts. It started with the Mescarf, a scarf with Irish actor Paul Mescal’s face on it. From there, I made a smaller tapestry of his face and then one of Irish pop sensation CMAT’s face.
It is great seeing the rise in popularity of these symbols. I believe that there is a proportion of the population who are moving away from fast fashion and are opting to buy from local, smaller designers. Many of these designers are putting their own unique spin on Irish ephemera and embracing the Irish language. For those who have emigrated to other countries, or for people who have moved to Ireland, it is lovely to see how they use these symbols and clothing items to embrace a part of Ireland.
Yes, I think my pieces are suitable for all different types of people and all different environments – from festival outfits to keeping warm on a winter’s day. Putting a modern spin on these designs is a fun way of keeping them alive, while paying homage to their history and cultural significance.
I am very much guided by what I enjoy making and wearing. I like making anything that changes colour as it keeps me interested. In terms of public transport, I currently make the buses and trains that I see around me. This, however, is now branching into vintage bus colourways, or liveries, from the 70s/80s/90s. I am also looking into the transport in Northern Ireland as many people have suggested this. For the tapestries, I tend to choose people I admire or who I think look distinctive as it is easier to get a likeness in knitted form.
I have had many requests for different bus routes both in Ireland and elsewhere. It’s really fun to see how passionate people get over certain routes or modes of transport. I’ve had requests to knit a tapestry of Jedward which would be a very iconic piece to make!
I started the Mescarf just after Christmas one year. There was no real rationale behind it – the film ‘All of Us Strangers’ was set to come out, so I think he was popping up quite a bit in the media. I said this to one person, and it was set in stone from there. I was knitting an Aran jumper at the same time so it offered a break from the cables. It taught me a lot, and if I was to make it again, there are definitely a few things I would alter (I would not knit in the round!). Seeing it come together was very satisfying and I will always treasure it as my first experimental knitting project.
Yes, definitely. Knitting has become such a popular hobby, especially since 2020. I feel so motivated and inspired seeing what other knitters/fibre artists are able to create. It motivates me to create interesting charts and try different techniques. I feel so fortunate to have learned the skill of knitting and I hope to continue blending it with culture references.
It is a relatively long process. I don’t like rushing into any of my ideas too quickly. Generally, when inspiration strikes, whether it’s for a clothing piece or a tapestry, I like to just sit with the idea for a few days or sometimes a few weeks. I think boredom is such an important experience for creativity. Whenever I am feeling bored or if I am doing a repetitive task, my mind will mull over the idea and I will imagine the different ways it may look as a knitted piece.
I have learned that simplicity is key, so I really let myself think through the logistics of the shape of the stitches, and how big I am willing to make it. Once I am happy with the idea in my head, I will start creating a chart on my laptop. I like looking at reference photos to pick out the most important features and what would be necessary in the design. Then, I start blocking out areas with colours and adding detail from there. It is an iterative process so it may take a few drafts of the chart before I am happy with how it looks.
It is a lot of trial and error. I use a variety of fibres in what I knit, and I determine what I use primarily based on how it feels against skin, but also which fibre offers the colour shades I require. I am in a craft group and I have picked up a lot of yarn suggestions through this. For the colours, I tend to visit a store in person and colour match as best as I can. I think it is important to be relatively flexible when doing projects as that is all part of the creative process.
The people who follow have been quite interactive, which I have enjoyed. I often put polls or questions up on my story so I can see people’s opinions or thoughts. I have also met a few people in public who follow me on social media which has been so nice! I love talking about knitting and public transport so I will use any excuse haha!
The way the public has embraced the public transport designs has been so nice but unexpected. I believe there are a few factors with nostalgia being a major one that play into this.
It is hard to limit this to one place. I think anywhere along the coast is going to inspire; west Cork, Dun Laoghaire, or Sligo are all really beautiful.
Being from Limerick, I have to say it is a beautiful and underrated city. The University of Limerick’s campus is breath-taking and I have often wanted to knit something based on the scene of the cormorants drying their wings on the rocks under the Living Bridge.
I love visiting Vibes and Scribes when I am in Cork – they have something for every type of crafter in there. Dublin Fibre Festival is coming up in October so I am looking forward to seeing what yarns are on offer there. Last year, there was an amazing array of dyers. CrisalTextil has such beautiful and unique shades that I adore. I tend to get a lot of my yarn from The Yarn Byre, which is an online store but based in Limerick.
I tend to buy a few skeins for a project when I am travelling, and I always associate the final product with where I was. Getting nice quality wool from the local area is a nice souvenir to bring home.
I love Marty Whelan so I think he will be the next face in the tapestry series. I made a Buses of Ireland sweater vest so I would like to continue that with more motifs. Time is the real limiter as I feel full of ideas!
I would of course love to collaborate with a transport company. Like everyone else in Dublin, I am desperate to get my hands on some DART seat fabric. I follow so many incredible Irish designers like Pellador, Beir Bua and Aoife Cawley who make amazing clothing and accessories. I think it would be nice, down the line, to collaborate with an Irish wool company to follow the process from sheep to wool and make something nice with it.
