HANDWEAVERS
KIRSTY ODDS
Kirsty Odds works from her garden studio in East Lothian as Hopipola Handwovens. She creates fresh, contemporary woven pieces for interiors. Her work often reflects the seasons, influencing colours, textures, and yarns. In spring, the bright airiness inspires her to use a vibrant colour palette, resulting in joyful fabrics. As the seasons turn and the weather cools, she uses wool yarns to create cosy fabrics, adding a feeling of “coorie”,a Scottish term for snuggling or nestling, to her collections.
Through her childhood, Kirsty fondly recalls playing in her father’s weaving space, trampling on the treadles of his tapestry loom or idly turning his spinning wheel. However, her personal interest in weaving didn't manifest until she started carrying her own children in woven wrap slings. This experience fostered a deep connection with her little ones and sparked a fascination with the fabric they wore, its creation, and design. This curiosity led her to weave her own wraps, igniting a passion for the craft. Weaving's interplay of mathematical patterns with colour and design beautifully merges her formal scientific background and artistic creativity. After designing and weaving wraps for other parents and children, Kirsty felt compelled to delve deeper into the possibilities within weaving. She embarked on the Handweaver’s Diploma in 2017. Kirsty Odds now weaves on a combination of her 16-shaft Ashford table loom and 32-shaft computerised Louet Megado Dobby floor loom. Much of her work explores doubleweave cloth, a technique that allows her to create complex patterns and reversible textiles.
After completing the Handweaver’s Diploma with distinction at The Handweaver’s Studio and Gallery in London in 2019, Kirsty Odds showcased her work at Scottish events such as Cloth#21, Cloth#22, and North Berwick Fringe by the Sea, 2021. Her pieces are currently displayed in local East Lothian galleries. Kirsty focuses on creating capsule collections but also values collaborative weaving. She participated in the 'Edge to Edge' exhibition in London and Denmark in 2022 and the 'Crossing the Warp-Thread by Thread' exhibition with Seven Sisters Handweavers in Whitchurch in 2024. As a weaving tutor at Poldrate Arts and Craft Centre, Haddington she enjoys sharing her weaving knowledge with others. Her ongoing solo work explores architectural forms and Bauhaus design to inform her block weave patterns.