Wick (Thos McKay): Weeks 4-5 – 15 July

I’m back in Scotland now, after a week in foreign climes – half in the south of France sandwiched with days in Edinburgh. The weather was . . . disappointingly much like home. Arrival day in France was hot, but the intervening week was generally cloudy, cool, and breezy. Expecting tropical temperatures, I’d packed for warmer temperatures. Layering up as much as possible, I longed for ‘Caithness summer’ clothing.

View from my bedroom window

The ’art retreat’ I attended was conducted at a relaxed pace. With three leaders, each instructing in separate techniques, we explored three disciplines: polymer clay, embroidery, and sketching. There were two sessions of polymer clay, learning simple techniques and using them for jewellery. For embroidery, the instructor gave us kits for hand-sewn needle books, complete with needles and tiny scissors to put in them. With sketching, we explored ways to make a blank page less daunting by tearing holes in vintage printed paper which were then glued to a backing sheet. The holes were used as frames for small sketches of the village.

Rue des Martineurs

In the past, the village was known for copper vessels, with half a dozen copper beating mills in the valley of the river Sor. The copper was made into vessels in the village’s workshops. Now, the focus has shifted to art & craft, and the village has rebranded itself as an ‘artisanal village’. For the art, a street artist was commissioned to paint a forest scene on a building next to the square. Further commissions extended the artworks to other walls, and then residents could have their garage doors muralled. These have made the village a much more colourful place.

Inside the Market Hall

Part of our time was spent in the airy attic studio and part on excursions. On the Saturday morning, we went to the nearby market in Revel. The large market square, with a 14th C market hall, is encompassed by arcades with shops and cafes. The market radiates into the surrounding streets, with food in the square, and household goods and clothing in the outlying stalls.

A Lane in Albi

The gansey came with me on the trip. I didn’t knit as much as hoped, but there is reasonable progress. The split welt and a few inches of the body are done. To avoid interminable inches of garter stitch on the welt, I chose a broken rib pattern which is too ‘ribby’. A stern blocking should make it behave. The pattern for the body is from one of the Johnston photos. Sometimes I think of it as “Calm Seas and Prosperous Voyage” (rippling seas and lots of herring), or more prosaically as “Thos McKay”, which is the name on the glass plate negative.

In parish notices, Sigrid has sent photos of a delicate pink gansey cardigan with a shawl collar. Well done to her.

Next week, I’ll be on the road again. This time I’m travelling down to Northampton, for my brother-in-law’s funeral. I’ll do my best to get a blog out, but I know you’ll understand if I don’t.