In conversation with Di Gilpin, a luxury wool and cashmere knitter, couture designer and judge on Channel 4’s Game of Wool

I have always loved being in Scotland. When I was a young woman, my favourite great-great-uncle Jimmy left me a legacy to buy walking boots and explore Scotland. My homes over the years have mostly been in remote areas, and often off-grid, and Scotland is a wonderful place to do this. It gives you space to think and to make.

I was adopted when I was just ten days old and grew up in East Yorkshire, surrounded by surrogate aunts who all made for the Women’s Institute. Making just became part of my life. When my Auntie Doris taught me how to knit as a little girl, I had no idea it would lead me to a career I’ve loved for more than four decades. I’ve always knitted; from my childhood, all the way through university and beyond. I studied history and politics, but was particularly interested in social history; this led me to an understanding of the history of knitting and the study of all the amazing techniques there are.

I was a teacher when I moved to Skye in 1983. I couldn’t find teaching work there, so I started making and designing. We didn’t have electricity in the early days, so I spent the long winter nights knitting by the fire and by candlelight, learning and extending my practice.

More than forty years later, I’m still a knitwear designer, now working from a beautiful studio and showroom in the East Neuk of Fife. My team and I craft couture pieces reflecting the knowledge and tradition of Scottish hand-knitting in a contemporary way, using the finest cashmere and wool. We have worked with some incredible brands including La Fetiche, Connolly England, Wolsey, Erdos 1436, Netflix and Nike.

There are many strands to the business now. One highlight has been helping to create the Channel 4 TV show Game of Wool – I’ve loved seeing how it has brought knitting to a wider audience. My team and I teach throughout the year, running workshops and classes at our Fife studio, and organising retreats, and I sell knitting patterns and yarns, too. We create collections for fashion houses and hold their unique patterns and designs in our archive for reference. There’s always something interesting going on in the studio.

I usually start the day about 6.30am, answering emails, followed by a lovely quiet hour or so of knitting, pattern writing or finishing before I set off for the studio. It is always buzzing, especially in the mornings. On the way, I walk my wee dog, Loui, usually on the beach or at Kellie Castle where I always find some inspiration. I love the gardens there and cherish being able to walk around them early in the morning when it’s so quiet.

The landscape is a huge influence on my work. Colour and light, shape and form, it’s all there. And while the Scottish landscape is a daily inspiration, I also like to look further afield. I had an olive farm in southern Spain in the 1990s/2000s, and love the culture of the Alpujarra mountain region there. I’m also inspired by my travels in the Himalayas. Art is another passion and I particularly love the work of various women artists: the Glasgow Girls, Louise Bourgeois, Dora Carrington, Sonia Delaunay and Sophie Taeuber Arp.

I think if I wasn’t a knitter, I would be a shepherd. I’m passionate about regenerative farming and sheep, especially Scottish-raised rare-breed sheep with exceptional fleece – which, of course, makes beautiful yarn.

Visit the Di Gilpin website | Follow Di Gilpin Instagram

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