MAKE Your Marks Knitting designs inspired by the heritage of the Bridgewater Canal in Salford MAKE Your Marks Patterns by Rachael Elwell With thanks to everyone who has taken Pattern designer / knitting consultant Est.1761 is a programme of part in this project: Rachael Elwell is a visual artist who works activities to inspire and engage local creatively with yarn by knitting, crochet and a communities with the story of the Nanette Aghaeipour, Fiona Banks, Sarah variety of other textile processes, to produce Bridgewater Canal in Salford, funded by Banks, Sonja Bellis, Marilyn Berry, Jean community and public art installations. the Heritage Lottery Fund, Salford City Blainey, Eileen Bonnann, Debbie Bowling, Her work with EST.1761 demonstrates how her Council, Bridgewater Canal Company and Janet Brown, Dorothy Butt, Elizabeth Charnley, passion for teaching craft techniques; combined other partner organisations. Win Collantine, Claire Cribbin, Jane Davies, with her contemporary designs incorporating Shirley Eckersley, Eva Falck-Wall Simpson, historical motifs; and the encouragement of skill Stephanie Finnigan, Joan Flannery, Jenny Garner, sharing within a community setting is at the Christine Greenwood, Jackie Hamilton, Julie heart of all of her project work. Harrison, Jenny Hayes, Joy Heason, Beverley www.artyarnproject.com Hockenhull, Rosa Holland, Dorothy Hulme and Designer her church knitting group, Chris Johnson, Julie Nelson Rhodes Hilary Kimber, Barbara Lashwood, Veronica Le Cheminant, Liz Lowry, Christine Molloy, Book photography Melanie Murray, Julie Nelson Rhodes, Linda Craig Robertson O’Connell, Mary Pickup, Kathleen Playfair, Knitwear models Marilyn Rabbitt, Janet Raven Martin, Anna Mary Pickup and Anna Raynor Raynor, Maureen Reavy, Jean Robinson, Anne Simpson, June Smith, Wendy Smith, Gill Studders, Sheila Thompson, Margaret Waddecar, Angela Walters, Jackie Ward, Joanne Wells, Irene Waterhouse, Smiths Restaurant, Eccles Craft Group, Any Yarn Goes, Knitters from Enfield House, Barton and Kembal House, Eccles Additional photographs courtesy of The Peel Archive, Duncan Corns and Mark Charnley Reference Owens, Victoria James Brindley and the Duke of Bridgewater (Amberley Books 2015) Introduction 1 The Bridgewater Canal in Salford is a place of momentous industrial heritage. Its invention was both a cause and effect of the great world changes of the eighteenth century and from its opening in 1761 it became a catalyst for the Industrial Revolution. In contrast to industrial heritage, knitting is firmly rooted in our domestic heritage. Making things – either on our own or with others; sharing anecdotes; building friendships; is an age-old past-time. Artist and knitter Rachael Elwell has created unique designs inspired by the patterns and shapes that can be found along the canal – the stonemasons’ marks, the architecture and the landscape. By transforming them into modern, usable knitting, the story behind them and the story of the Bridgewater Canal continues. What is more fitting a tribute to the genius of the canal than a stonemasons’ mark Fair Isle tea cosy or a bobble hat? 3 Knitters from across Salford By using traditional knitting techniques, River Irwell. By 1893 increasingly larger have been creating squares using the squares are firmly rooted in our ships were needing to pass through domestic and industrial heritage. The so yet another invention was called for. the new patterns inspired by pairing of Fair Isle techniques with When the new Barton Swing Aqueduct the heritage of the Bridgewater both heritage and modern symbols (in swings it does so whilst keeping hold Canal. These squares have then particular the hashtag) gives the work of its water – the world’s first and only been sewn together around large a contemporary twist, slotting in to the bridge to ever do so. wooden letters to make intriguing, modern resurgence of using traditional eye catching and approachable textile methods to make art. By transforming the hundreds of knitted squares into #SWINGIEST we highlight temporary sculptures. The first of the installations saw Salford’s momentous heritage through #SWINGIEST mounted on what the very homely craft of knitting. remains of the original Barton Aqueduct. This remarkable structure built in 1761, carried canal boats high up over the Makers’ marks and the knitting patterns So that the stonemasons who built There is a surviving Bridgewater This snippet of information gives an the original aqueduct would be paid, accounts book which gives an insight intriguing glimpse into the building of into how many men were on site and what was a remarkably ambitious feat they carved their own marks into what they were doing when building of engineering. Even though we know the stones. It is these marks which the aqueduct. For 9 May 1761, just little about the men who made it, the have formed the inspiration for the before it opened, there were twenty marks of their existence remain and new patterns in this book. four masons on the books, each paid can be seen today. in the region of 1s 8d per day. On the same date is an entry for a payment of 4s to William Boyle ‘for repairing chisels’. 5 The Thirteen O’Clock Tea Stonemasons’ Snood Nail Maker’s Cushion for Time Tea Cosy The Fair Isle patterns in this Pins book are based on the carvings that stonemasons made into the original Barton Aqueduct. The Duke of Bridgewater As the Industrial Revolution This Stonemasons’ was known to be a took hold, all sorts of Snood ironically doesn’t benevolent employer industries sprang up around have the marks in the but he was also known to the Bridgewater Canal. Nail makers, pattern – instead it focuses keep an eye on his workers. carpenters, blacksmiths, sail makers, on the layers of the One day he noticed that they basket weavers, boat builders ... structure itself – still had not returned from dinner at Much of this has now gone but the standing since 1761. 1pm, claiming they had not heard the footprints can be seen in street and single strike of the clock. The solution house names – Nail Maker’s Cottage was to make the clock strike thirteen so The Duke’s Cut Cushion remains in Worsley to this day. that there would be no mistaking lunch was over. The clock is now in St Mark’s The Inventor’s Tablet Cover Church in Worsley and can still strike thirteen o’clock. The term The Duke’s Cut is an affectionate The Bridgewater Canal was Brindley’s Bobble Hat name for the Bridgewater Canal. a brand new invention – no It was indeed built by one had previously made a the Duke, for his coal canal that wasn’t an existing waterway. It was cutting edge The Bridgewater Canal mines, cut out of the earth engineering so a heritage-inspired was the vision of three and into the landscape. After all tablet cover seems very fitting – low men. One of these was that hard work a sit down on a comfy tech meets high tech and vice versa. James Brindley, the brilliant, cushion sounds most welcome! Or if you are more of a Luddite you unconventional radical thinker who can convert it into a purse or a bag or famously carved a model of Barton a book pouch… Aqueduct from a piece of cheese to show baffled Members of Parliament just what he was talking about when he said he wanted to build a bridge to carry a canal over a river. The Thirteen O’Clock Tea Time Tea Cosy 7 Materials and tools 36 Pattern instructions slide all of the stitches off the end of Yarns Tension 35 Make two pieces. the knitting needle. 22 sts x 34 Cast on 60 sts Pull tight so the knitted fabric draws 31 rows 31 33 Use the Fair Isle instructions together at the top and secure with a 32 50g 50g 50g on page 30 to follow the tight knot. 31 30 pattern from row 1 to 36, 10cm ending on a purl row. Finishing 29 50g 50g 50g 28 Place both pieces of knitting together, x 10cm 27 Shaping the top with the right sides facing out. 26 Detach the cream yarn Use mattress stitch sewing method 50g 25 and work in dark grey for on page 32, to sew up the edges of 24 shaping the top of the tea the tea cosy, remembering to leave a 23 Needles and notions Finished size cosy for the following 6 generous size gap for the handle and 22 4mm needles Fits a 6 cup teapot rows. the spout. 21 Cardboard or pom- 44cm circumference Row 1: * k3, k2tog * You may need to measure your teapot 20 pom maker 16cm from cast on Repeat between * to the to see where you need to place the 19 edge to cast off edge 18 end of the row (48 sts) gaps for the handle and the spout. 17 Row 2: P all sts 16 Row 3: * k2, k2tog * Pom-pom 15 Repeat between * to the Using cream yarn, make a pom-pom 14 end of the row (36 sts) following the instructions on page 33 13 12 Row 4: P all sts and sew to the top of the tea cosy. 11 Row 5: * k1, k2tog * 10 Repeat between * to the Blocking 9 end of the row (24 sts) Before sewing up the tea cosy, block 8 Row 6: P2tog all the way both pieces of knitting to reduce the 7 across the row (12 sts) tension curl along the cast on edge. 6 To block your knitting, follow the 5 4 Cast off remaining stitches instructions on page 32. 3 by threading the yarn on to 2 a darning needle. 1 Feed darning needle 6 5 4 3 2 1 through all the stitches and Brindley’s Bobble Hat 9 Materials and tools Pattern instructions Once you have completed the chart, Yarns Tension Using blue and 4.5mm needles switch back to dark grey and work in 22 sts x Loosely cast on 100 sts.