October 2009
Stitches on the Bridge /
Lùban air an Drochaid
(looban er n drochitch)
This is an example of a project that I am involved in which was set up and is run by local women which has had a global impact. It was set up to link people all over the world, to raise money for local charities and to celebrate Homecoming Scotland.
Luib nan Lùban (In amongst the Stitches) was formed in February 2009 in order to promote different forms of textile art, including knitting, and to take forward this project. It is a constituted group with representatives from different communities on both sides of the bridge.
2009 is the year of Homecoming Scotland, a Scottish Government initiative, which is an events programme celebrating Scotland’s great contribution to the world.
 Stitches on the Bridge aims to combine knitting the Skye Bridge – covering parts of the bridge with knitting and crochet - with the Highland Homecoming celebrations and invited Scots, ex-pats, Scotophiles and interested parties all over the world to contribute to highlight the ideas of “coming home” and “linking” with communities worldwide.
Participants were invited to contribute items of particular dimensions: large panels, scarves, or smaller rectangles. These will be joined together and mounted on the ramparts of the bridge, creating a colourful and thought provoking display of knitted links with the world. All the items will eventually be sold to raise money for charity.
The inspiration for knitting the Skye Bridge came from a combination of the likes of guerrilla knitting, yarnbombing and knitting graffiti, and community/charity projects like the Shaun the Sheep Great British Picknit, The Gingerbread House and Prudence Mapstone’s Pink Project .
Linking is the theme:
- Knitting nowadays links people right across the globe, with the likes of online knitting communities: Ravelry, “competitive knitting” games like Yarn Smackdown, Hat Wars, and Sock Wars, and specialised Yahoo groups and numerous blogs.
- Knitting links people nationally when they contribute to the likes of the Great British Picknit .
- Knitting links people in their communities when they come together to knit something like the Devon Knitted Christmas Tree.
- Knitting links the generations and, as one passes on its skill to the next, it also links us with our cultural heritage and roots.
- The Skye Bridge links communities and Homecoming Scotland 2009 links both generations and communities.
 To date contributions have arrive from over 150 people and more are arriving daily, with many people sending more than one piece. These pieces of knitting and crochet have been sent from as far afield as China, Australia, the US and Europe. Many Scots residents have also taken part and commemorated the lives of their forebears in patchwork blankets and embellished panels. The local Youth Cafe in Kyle of Lochalsh is knitting a panel and many of the local schools are also contributing.
As well as knitting, many people have contributed stories with their craft, many of them moving, others very funny. For example:
" I knitted this bedspread in memory of my gran who was a native Gaelic speaker from Skye. I remember visiting the island as a child and being fascinated by the crofts and enjoying the great scenery. I enjoy knitting and hope that someone will like the multi-coloured panel design after it has decorated the Skye Bridge. "
All the stories that come with the pieces will be compiled into a book which will also be sold for charity.
Scotland Transerv are the organisation that look after the bridge and they have been working with the group to ensure that the hanging of the pieces will be done in a safe manner with minimum disruption to the bridge traffic and are making staff available to assist with the whole event.
On Saturday 24 October, Under the Stitches, an afternoon and evening event to celebrate the hanging, will be held in Kyleakin Village Hall from 2 pm until 11 pm. The afternoon will see informal workshops in knitting and crochet with the aim of creating giant links to form a knitted chain for the bridge. Teas and coffees will also be available.
Kyle Youth Café will be holding a stovies supper in the early evening, along with an informal ceilidh, in the true sense of the word, with a variety of different turns and an “open mic” session. The Big Field Blues Band will be playing for a dance in the later evening. Under the Stitches, supported by A’Chroabh, will give people the opportunity to not only view the panels on the bridge but also to join in the all day celebrations. The whole event is being filmed by the Young Enterprise Team from Plockton High School.
 It’s been great to be part of a project which connects the remote West Highlands with the rest of the world, with knitters in their 80s and children as young as 5 years old taking part. It’s really exciting to get parcels from all over the world every week - Christmas has started early this year!
If you would like to be involved, it's still not too late to do some knitting! See our website for instructions. Volunteers are also needed to help with compiling the pieces in the weeks leading up to the celebration, with hanging the pieces on the bridge on Friday 23 October and also with the event on Saturday 24th October. Volunteers should call 01599 566323 or contact us via the webform.
For more information see also the Stitches on the Bridge website, which also includes photos and stories of some of the contributions.
 Contributed by Fiona MacEwan, Skye and Lochalsh W@W co-ordinator
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