Cabled Knits Photoshoot

One of the biggest challenges I face when producing a book is organising photography. It is essential to get clear and beautiful pictures of the items for which the book will contain knitting instructions. For me this involves booking a photographer, a stylist, models, a location, and rooms nearby. That’s a lot of things to coordinate, especially as I also have to ensure that all the knitted samples are ready.

The book I am currently working on focuses on cabled knitting, with 16 items featuring a variety of cable styles. Because many cable designs are inspired by Celtic knotwork, at an early stage of planning the book we (my sister and I) decided to name all the patterns after the ancient Yorkshire abbeys where monks adorned religious manuscripts with beautiful Celtic knots. So for the photoshoot location I searched for a ruined church or abbey that would be consistent with the pattern names.

Thus it was that last week I spent several days living in an Elizabethan cottage in the Pennine village of Heptonstall, whilst making frequent trips with the photoshoot team to the ruined church that is the village’s key attraction. Thanks to fabulous styling by my dear friend Alison, and wonderful photos by Amelia, I am delighted with the results. Our regular models, Diane and Alice, did a great job again, showing the garments off to perfection, and I can’t wait to start dropping the photos into the book. Meanwhile here are a few of them to whet your appetite: