The story in the family is that Liz started to knit when a toddler. Her Cornish grandmother got fed up with Liz leaning over the arm of her chair watching her knit. She gave Liz wool and needles and told her to do her own. She did... Later on, she kept herself in clothes through school by knitting arans for friends, and when ill health forced her to stop teaching when she was 40, she did what her forebears would have done - she turned to knitting again. Now, from her house on the shores of Scapa Flow in Orkney, Scotland, she spins and dyes, designs and knits, specialising in designs bringing the patterns of the Northern Isles to a new audience. Almost all the time, Liz will have three projects on the go - one gansey, one piece of lace and one Fair Isle - and other ideas sketched out in her head and on paper. For relaxation Liz stays with fibre, spinning and dyeing, and there is always a camera in her pocket. There is usually an audio book on the player while she knits, and her Scotties will be at her feet waiting for the next walk.