Knitting is never ‘just knitting’!

My work combines my twin loves of storytelling and craft. I am a big believer in textiles being more than just something that keeps us warm.

Textiles are social commentary and social history.

I am passionate about Knit Local, slow fashion, and the making of an everyday wardrobe.

Many of my patterns are inspired by my favourite authors and artists. The world around me is another constant source of inspiration.

I am also interested in exploring further afield: my Doggerland collection was inspired by Mesolithic archaeology, land art and psychogeography.

My book This Thing of Paper was inspired by the invention of the printing press, handmade vs machinemade, and how we relate to things through our bodies.

The portfolio of clients and collaborations keeps changing and expanding. Here’s a very, very small sample of the people & companies I’ve worked with:

All my photography is done by David Fraser.

About Karie

Hey, I’m Karie Westermann. Good to meet you!

I live in Glasgow, Scotland but am originally from Denmark, a small Scandinavian country.

I usually describe my day job as ‘doing things with wool and words’!

I am a knitwear designer and also teach knitting/crochet classes anywhere all over Europe and the UK.

It is such a privilege to be a small part of other people’s making lives: every time I see someone excited about a new technique or wearing one of my designs, I feel so honoured.

A less visible part of my job is that I support other knitting professionals as a copy editor and a mentor.

I also write articles for magazines and provide professional hand-knitting advice for museums, universities and other institutions.

Occasionally I do other things.

In my limited spare time, I like spending time with my partner David, taking part in pub quizzes, going around Glasgow on my red bike (red bikes are faster, don't you know?), and watching little dogs chase balls.

Other interests include Eurovision, 1990s UK indie music, dressmaking, costume history, reading books (favourite authors include David Mitchell, Margaret Atwood and A.S. Byatt) and I love long train journeys.

I'm also super-interested in early 20th century arts and culture, all things New Zealand, artists' books — and I'm damn proud of being a feminist.