One of the main aims of the Knit Shop has always been to encourage creativity within the community, and provide experience, training and even future employment to graduates and people from the area.
So when MAKE Manifesto invited us to be part of their two-year programme, the synergy was clear to me. I wasn’t the most academic child myself, and was always drawn to anything even vaguely creative. It was the one thing I enjoyed and felt comfortable doing.
The MAKE Manifesto project is all about giving teachers the confidence to include craft in their lessons - not just for craft’s sake, but to illustrate creative thinking in action, reveal the hidden maths in making, and encourage mindful, hands-on activity in our very screen-heavy world.
Sadly, so many of these traditional skills have been lost over the years, which is a great shame. Craft brings so many benefits - from reducing anxiety to the satisfaction of creating something truly unique from scratch.
I believe craft is for everyone, and I strongly feel that more schools should adopt craft into lessons. Watching children who normally struggle with academic learning, light up with interest, and thrive and grow in confidence is exactly why projects like this matter, and we are so proud to be a part of it!
ABOUT THE PROJECT
MAKE with the Knit Shop is a two-year teacher development project designed to embed craft approaches in schools.
The project explores the value and potential of teaching craft across the curriculum and equips teachers with the skills, knowledge, confidence and experience, to provide quality education and impactful learning through the arts.
Working with six primary schools in Dundee (Ancrum Road, Claypotts Castle, Fintry, Rosebank, St Mary’s and Downfield) and three textile makers (Kim Norrie, Jolene Guthrie and Kate Scarlet Harvey), MAKE with the Knit Shop introduces teachers and pupils to new craft-based approaches that support numeracy skills development in the classroom. A set of resources has been developed by teachers and makers together with Knit Shop, an independent knit factory in Dundee, owned by award-winning Scottish textile and product designer Donna Wilson. These free learning resources are due to be released in September 2025, ahead of the launch of the project report and key learnings later in the year.
MAKE with the Knit Shop is a partnership between @makemanifesto, @knitshopscotland and Dundee Creative Learning Network, led by @craftscotland and @panel_glasgow. It is funded by @paulhamlynfoundation’s Teacher Development Fund, with additional support from @creativescots as part of their targeted funding to strengthen the craft sector in Scotland.
Photo credit: Julie Howden and Neil Hanna