Biscuit Scout

Have you experienced the phenomenon? You’re walking around your town and all of a sudden you see an everyday object covered in something bright… and fuzzy? No, it’s not graffiti, it’s yarn bombing.

South African artist Lynn of Biscuit Scout has taken this idea to the next level, creating practical items for the home with whimsical knit covers. From light fixtures to armchairs, her modern chunky knitting style could make the perfect addition to your living room. Here she gives us a glimpse at how she got started, her challenges and advice.

Tell us about your work—why do you create what you do?
My washing machine was really old and had rust marks down its front. It looked very shabby and I was trying to figure out how to disguise it. I couldn’t paint it. I didn’t have a sewing machine to sew an outfit for it so I thought I’d knit one! I knew how to knit but hadn’t done since I was a teenager. I lied when I went to buy the wool – I said I needed enough to knit a blanket. And that started me up this path of knitting large things.

Do you intend for your pieces to be functional or simply function as sculpture?
A bit of both – a knitted article is not suitable for high traffic.

How difficult is it to mold your knitting to a 3-D form?
My Mom taught me to knit when I was about 6 years old. The beauty of knitting with wool is that it stretches so can be moulded to fit once you have the basic dimensions and shapes.

How are your materials sourced?
I’ve found a range of local wools which have a lot of natural colours which I like to work with. I’ve only worked with these and have recently added a range of beautiful and brighter colour cottons (Vinni’s) which are hand dyed by previously unemployed women.

How has your work evolved?
I’m still finding new things to knit. I’m busy sewing my first knitted handbag together at the moment. I hope to finish it today.

What is your greatest challenge?
The shipping costs from South Africa. Yikes!

What inspires you?
This may sound corny, but there is inspiration everywhere – it just depends on how you look at things.
Tell us about your etsy business.
My friend Shelley told me about Etsy about 4 years ago. I joined in April last year. I would love this to be my full time job, but as it takes so much time to knit each object, the finished project is quite expensive and this limits my sales. And then there’s the shipping costs!

Aside from your etsy shop, where can readers find your work?
www.biscuitscout.com (for South African readers – prices in Rands)

What advice do you have for new etsians?
Enjoy the community. There are so many amazing, talented and friendly people on Etsy.