12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: JO GORDON

The Selvedge 12 Days of Christmas 2021 prize draws are open! From 1 – 12 December you can enter for a chance of winning one of our 12 prizes. Every day while entries are open we will look at each prize in more detail. Today it's this stunning check scarf from Jo Gordon! Her hand-crafted knitwear is a breath of fresh air — read on for an insight into her process and work.

I commissioned my first knit as a teenager: A copy of a much-loved and  much-darned hat that belonged to my dad. It was reproduced faithfully  by my mum’s friend, Vilma. I was 16 and in Scotland it was cold: It  looked perfect and worked beautifully. The hat had been reinvented. 

My appreciation for good making has not changed: I love things that are  made honestly and function well. Wool is an honest, functional material  and Scotland has a long history of making and producing the best  knitwear in the world. It is driven by people with incredible skills and  since I started I’ve worked with mills that share my passion for tradition  and craft. Often small, these manufacturers understand the importance  of keeping their skills alive. They are the best at what they do and  supply a quality and authenticity that is at the heart of what I produce.  

These manufacturers are also collaborators – like the friends, artists  and designers I often work with. Together we discover ways to interpret  particular specialisms: It may be using a production method in an  unexpected way, reinterpreting an old technique or resurrecting an  archived, vintage pattern. I’m consistently inspired by process and an  understanding of manufacture allows me to find ways to mix the old  with the new. 

Colour is also an important ingredient in my work. I love the flexibility that colour gives. It can reinvent something familiar and I often use  complex colour and pattern on simple forms to dramatically change  context and mood. It can be cool, sophisticated, sombre or frivolous:  It can be reminiscent or it can be unfamiliar. 

For me being part of the process from design to manufacture to  buyer is vitally important in creating knitwear that will be as enduring  as the origins it comes from – knitwear that you will want to care for  and in return will serve you well. 

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To enter the prize draw for any one of our 12 prizes, use the link found in our weekly Selvedge newsletter sent on Thursdays (scroll to the bottom!), or visit the digital subscriber page and enter your code for access.

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To find out more about Jo Gordon's designs, visit their website: www.jogordon.com

View the rest of the prizes here: