Mary Macgregor produces small batches of sustainable Fair Isle knitted textiles to the highest quality and standards. She preserves Shetland’s rich knitwear heritage by using the oldest Fair Isle patterns and colours in a contemporary manner, producing outstanding pieces in the world’s best 100% superfine merino yarn. The resulting textiles are silky-soft, durable and affordable.
Drawing on her skills as a mathematical economist, it’s unsurprising that Mary Macgregor exudes talent in designing the intricacies of Fair Isle knitwear. “Since I’ve always loved geometry, Fair Isle designs attracted me
like a bear to honey." Having fond memories of visiting the
Shetland Islands for a family holiday over 20 years ago, combined with her interest in researching Fair Isle designs in museum archives, Mary decided to embark on a career change when her children left home.
Following a move to Shetland with the aim of starting a small Fair Isle textiles business, Macgregor realised that the oldest patterns were in danger of dying out because no one was using them. She works with the natural colours of the day but in a fine gauge - to bring Fair Isle textiles firmly into the 21st century, to embrace the present.”
Babka Knitwear is ‘no waste’ in the sense that all the set-up and failed pieces are kept and returned to Macgregor to be made into something quirky in time.
