‘MRS CATHERINE LARGE’

The fourth in the series of “Women in the Stacks”.

This pattern is a little different from the rest of the Women in the Stacks collection, in that it isn’t related to a particular library architecture, but the memory of a special place and person. The pattern is named for the secondary school history teacher who kept her eye on me growing up, who let me watch the raising of the Mary Rose* on the TV in her classroom on 11th October 1982, who gave me spare exercise books to write stories in – and who acted as school librarian.

To reflect the fact that so many teachers act in two (or more) roles, there are two versions for Mrs Catherine Large – one is in stocking stitch and the other in garter stitch. They are negatives of one another and maintain the same simple repeat of lace eyelets. Make the one you prefer – or both.

Here’s to the teachers and librarians that ‘see’ us when few others do – the ones who listen and watch – the ones who notice that there’s an issue under the facade – the ones who give us a safe place to be - the ones who keep us fed, sometimes in books and sometimes in care and attention (and occasionally actual biscuits).

Thanks, Mrs Large – I survived.