Keywords: bc, british columbia, canada, catherine m thomson, knitting, thread, victoria, cobweb, shawl, silk

Lace Symphony

Catherine M Thomson

Dimensions

945 x 1430 mm

Materials

Shawl: hand-knitted cobweb lace using silk thread

Artist statement

‘My cultural identity comes from two countries, Scotland and Canada. Shetland lace shawls made by my maternal grandmother were part of my family tradition. I never saw her knit one, they would suddenly appear as a complete shawl. Later I understood why: the complexity of the patterns and the fineness of the wool required complete uninterrupted concentration. As a young adult I moved to Canada. Shetland shawls were not part of the culture and for many years I did not give them any thought.

In my recent designs I have moved away from the regularity of traditional Shetland lace knitting and use a free-form design process. I called this shawl Lace Symphony because throughout the process of making it there was a feeling of building towards a finale. Once the shawl was finished I could see many Canadian influences in the design, which mirrors the ultimate in nature’s fragility and boldness, the hummingbirds and eagles of my environment.’