I’ve been thinking lately about how strange it is that the things I do every day have somehow turned into a kind of lifestyle on Instagram, maybe I overshare. It is an honest, open, free running Instagram feed of knitting, yarn, travel, allotment, clothes, badgers, my cat Tiggy, and the stories are basically, what is in my head that day.
I’m a knitter, artist, traveller, redundant writer of stories. I’m interested in colour, clothes, gardens, making things, places and people. I have a fairly ordinary life in Sheffield, although I suppose “ordinary” is a matter of perspective – these things are the things I post about – not just knitting.
But lately, some rather lovely things have started happening.
I spent three simple days in a Shepherd’s hut in Dorset and had such a good time that I’ve now decided to stay off grid at Eden.Fold which will be a collaboration and is closer to Sheffield. A clothing company sent me two pieces that I genuinely wanted to wear and I was very, very excited – here is the post of the Tuxedo shirt from Plumo. And recently, Rowan has sent me a beautiful selection of mohair in colours I chose myself which I will knit in my off grid retreat at Eden.Fold.
Other companies and people have started collaborations with me but I am NOT an influencer, just a sharer of a few select beautiful things that I believe in and LOVE . And I find it really quite humbling. I never thought that this would happen.
I’m very careful about what I choose to be involved with. If something doesn’t fit into my life, or isn’t something I would genuinely use, wear or love, then it doesn’t really make sense to me.
What interests me is how I got here.
Because I certainly didn’t plan it.
I’m 63. I live alone. I’ve been knitting for more than 40 years. I studied Fine Art, did a Masters in Knitting much later in life, worked in the arts, spent years absorbed in Shetland knitting and women’s histories, and eventually found myself making work about colour, landscape and the things that surround me.
Then Instagram happened. I feel immensely grateful for it all.
I started sharing what I was doing because I enjoyed sharing it. Somewhere along the way, lots of other people started looking without me planning or marketing and then, if I am honest, I began to get a little nervous.
So now, I seem to have arrived at this slightly unexpected place where my knitting, clothes, allotment, travels, the things I make, the things I discover and the things I’m curious about have all become part of the same story.
Perhaps that’s what a lifestyle window actually is – I am still learning and the internet evolves quickly.
And slowly, I am building a life I genuinely enjoy, and I am still surprised that other people are interested in coming along for a little bit of it.
If you would like to join me in my Colour Swatch Journal group, there is information here on the workshops page
tracey doxey 