Tracey Doxey – Fiberchats – 4th October 2023
Hi, my name is Tracey Doxey and knitting and designing Fair Isle designs in the round inspired by true stories of Shetland, as well as travel and writing are my passions. I grew up in the 1960’s to a British working-class family, in Derbyshire and was encouraged to get to work as soon as possible, so I never went to college after leaving school, at 16.
As a child, I always made things with paper or fabric or tinfoil and taught myself to knit from the age of about 10, building up self-taught skills until I bought a 2nd hand knitmaster knitting machine when I was 16 with my wages and started creating crazy mis matched pullovers in the 1980’s using Woolworths nylon wool. In the mid 1980’s, I found Patricia Roberts’ designs and began to knit extremely intricate patterns using her own brand of Shetland wool. I had kids in my early 20’s and knitted for them and for family for many years, then I went back to education in my 30’s to do a Fine Art Degree from 1995 -1998 after doing a BTEC in Fine Art.
Much later, in 2016, I went back to uni again, to do an MA in Knitting at NTU where I followed my passion to develop computer aided Shetland lace patterns which I knitted into large panels and took them back to Shetland and placed them in the abandoned derelict croft house windows or doorways to create site specific art, as a testament to the long-gone knitters.
I went back and forth to Shetland for 5 years from my first visit to wool week in 2015, then Up Helly Aa Fire festival in Lerwick, in 2016, before a 1 month residency in Scalloway, 2017, then more trips until a 2 month internship on Fair Isle with Mati Ventrillon in 2019.
In march 2020, I saw the most astonishing croft house for sale in Levenwick on the east side of Shetland and bought it. I moved 1,000 miles, lock stock and two cats across land and sea to move into that fabulous old house, but, for a number of reasons, I left 14 months later. Whilst in Shetland, I wrote a book about my Shetland life, the natural elements and my knitting. I had an agent but no publisher, so now, my book, is being released in instalments on Patreon here https://www.patreon.com/Tracey_Doxey
I knit, cycle and swim every day – not all at the same time but I do walk and knit. I absolutely love colour work knitting in Fair Isle designs.
For the past 4 years, I have designed Fair Isle / Shetland knitting patterns – they are here.
https://www.ravelry.com/designers/tracey-doxey
I am giving away 20% discount on all knitting patterns on ravelry for the next 48 hours after the fiberchat– here https://www.ravelry.com/designers/tracey-doxey with the code Fiberchats
If you want to find out about my knitting life, please go to my website at https://traceydoxey.com
where you will also find new dates and information on up and coming two-hour, zoom colour blending workshops for Stranded knitting.
mostly, I post on Instagram @traceydoxey
19 Comments
Thanks for interviewing Tracey. I see her posts on stranded knitting and they always blow me away. She is amazing.
great interview , so interesting to hear about her journey and starting in her 50's going back to school. Thanks!
Really enjoyed the interview with Tracey and learning about her journey.
Thank you, Irina, for doing all the work behind the scenes and for setting up these interviews for the rest of us to enjoy! Tracey sounds like an amazing, adventurous woman!
What a fantastic person, I feel she is a profondly wise old soul.
What a fascinating person! Much of what she said resonates. I envy her courage.
Every interesting chat, thank you ❤
How wonderful! The colours in these items are so appealing to me. Thank you Irina, for all your research into these talented artists work. Thank you Tracey for all your hard work, enthusiasm and delight in colour. Most of all, thanks for your generosity in sharing it with others.
This was such an interesting interview with Tracey, her eye for colour is really something special. For anyone thinking or considering taking her online workshop, it comes most thoroughly, and whole heartedly recommended. I was lucky enough to do it a couple of years ago as well as recently do a test knit for her and it was one of the most rewarding classes/colour theory lessons I have taken.
Thank you so much Irina for all your hard work in setting up the chat and preparing questions.
Thank you Irina for this wonderful interview!
You presented an incredible artist!
An interview full of real life!
Hello Ladies from St.Louis,Missouri!
What a fantastic interview. I receive Tracy’s emails and it was great to hear and see you. Interesting to hear how it was to live on an isolated island. I went to Shetland wool week this year and found Shetland an amazing place. Thanks for sharing. ❤
What an interesting and inspirational woman. I loved listening to her journey…she is a true gift to the fiber community!
What a lovely story.❤
A lovely person! Thank you, Irina, for bringing us this interview. I'm really enjoying your channel! You find such fascinating people! And yet, they are also relatable. And inspiring. I loved meeting Tracey!
what an inspiring woman, what a story. I felt the need to get to know her better… I'm fascinated. Thanks for this interview. It left a lasting “mark” on me. 🥰
I am so happy to see Tracey being interviewed by you. I somehow stumbled onto her IG when she was in Shetland and found her sharing of her experience to be fascinating. She’s brave and determined to strike out on her own and realize the experiences that she imagines for herself. So much admiration for her work and her openness about how she interacts with whatever place she is currently inhabiting. Good luck, Tracey, on your journey to Japan!
As always, you've brought us another fascinating interview. Thank you!