Behind the scenes: linocut illustrations

In issue one of Ernest, we explore the heritage of a timeless emblem of winter wear – the Aran sweater – born out of necessity, tradition and the fierce independence on the Aran islands, "three stepping stones out of Europe," as Seamus Heaney once called them..

To tell the stories behind the local lanolin-rich báinín wool, fishing heritage and 'handwriting' of each family weave, we called on linocut artist Jade They:

"My process begins with researching the subject and its origins, focusing on the atmosphere the article is trying to capture. I then make working roughs using hand drawn elements, which I refine as I go. I cut the final image out of lino and print it. Sometimes I'll make a few minor changes in Photoshop, but I try to keep to the original print as much as possible – it's the imperfections that make the image unique. Having an element of the uncontrollable is what makes printmaking interesting. It's something that you couldn't recreate on a computer." 

How to use a firesteel

A must-have on any camping adventure, a firesteel can have your fire roaring in seconds. Andrew Groves of Miscellaneous Adventures show you how. 

Firesteels are a great way of lighting a fire in the great outdoors. Striking the ferrocerium rod with the back of a knife creates a shower of hot sparks that will ignite many natural or manmade tinders. They can also be used to light gas or alcohol stoves. Here are a few tips on how to get the best from your firesteel.

First you need to locate or make some suitable tinder. Dry, fibrous or fluffy materials work best. Below are a few of my favourites that can be found readily in the UK. Others include, cotton wool, cedar bark, seed heads of various plants or even the fluffy stuff inside jackets and sleeping bags in an emergency. The best of all though is birch bark, and that's what I'm using here in my demonstration.

In order to use your firesteel you need a suitable striker; high carbon steel works best. Many outdoor knives and axes are made of high carbon steel. In this example I'm using the back edge of a carbon folding Opinel. The idea is to scrape off a layer of the rod creating sparks that land onto your bundle of tinder. Use the thumb of the hand holding the firesteel to push the striker from the handle towards the tip of the rod firmly.

You should see a flash of hot sparks land onto your bundle of tinder; if one of these sparks lands in just the right spot fire should swiftly follow.

Once your tinder ignites, build your fire in the normal way and get the coffee boiling. Experiment with different tinders in different environments and see what works best for you. Happy camping!

Andrew Groves lives in a barn in a small Sussex woodland, where he runs Miscellaneous Adventures. He makes wooden tools by hand and teaches workshops in wood carving and other skills. miscellaneousadventures.co.uk

One thousand shoe lasts later...

When Susan Gaston of White Dove & Wonder inadvertently bought 1000 shoe lasts, it led her on an inventive path that only served to reinforce her commitment to preserving our industrial heritage.

So tell us the story behind White Dove & Wonder...

I was the third generation of my family to work in the shoe trade and, having been at home with my children for 20 years, I was looking for a new career path. I came across some baby shoe lasts at Ardingly Antiques Fair – seeing them got me thinking about my own personal heritage and so I contacted an old friend in the trade, asking to buy some shoe lasts. The next day he delivered 1000 pairs (slightly more than I was expecting). Faced with this shoe last mountain and my husband’s questions about what I intended to do with them, I decided that to reclaim and remake them into objet d’arts and furniture would be a great way of preserving an important symbol of our industrial heritage. The business has taken off beyond our wildest dreams and been embraced by many likeminded people who see these lasts not just as pieces as wood but as things of great beauty.

How do you come up with your ideas? It sounds like you're always experimenting and trying new things...

My husband Jimmy (who is the creative director) was a photographer so is innately creative. Usually one of us will have an idea in mind and he will then experiment in the workshop until he has worked out the practicalities of constructing the piece. We then fine tune the design together. We are currently working on a standard lamp.

What's your most popular item?

Our most popular item varies from season to season. But the triple last coat peg and the loo roll holder are enduring favourites.

...and the bespoke project that has been most fulfilling?

We thoroughly enjoyed creating bespoke point of sale display merchandise for Timberland’s 40th anniversary last year – to see our pieces in stores throughout Europe was a real buzz! Timberland are such an iconic brand, we felt hugely privileged.

Why do you think it's essential that we support out heritage industries? 

It’s not only essential but imperative that we support our heritage industries – without people learning traditional crafts, and I say craft in the highest sense of the word, these heritage industries will die out. This is not only extremely sad, but on a commercial level, losing our traditional crafts will lead to a loss of trade and industry. Without our heritage industry, what have we got to export?

What do you think we can do as individuals and as a community to support British crafts? 

Simple – buy British, support British entrepreneurs and promote British craftsmen. Certainly new publications such as Ernest Journal are our lifeblood as you raise awareness and stimulate interest in forgotten pockets of creativity. Thank you!

Any exciting plans afoot for White Dove & Wonder in 2014?

We’re really excited about 2014 and have got off to a flying start, having already built a stand for ?ohW shoes at Men’s Collections, MFW, which was so exciting. We are also developing a completely different project – making furniture from aircraft salvage with some really interesting commissions already under our belt. And we are planning to build a new workshop in our garden, making us more productive and helping to reduce our carbon footprint.

Anything else you'd like to tell us about?

I’d simply emphasise how important it is to support our British designers and manufacturers and to look to the past for inspiration. We will be showing at Best of Britannia in October and please follow us on twitter @whitedovewonder

Such & Such: a sign of good things to come

We were delighted to make the acquaintance of these fine fellows last week. Such & Such is brought to you by Peak District born brother and sister team Ali and Nikki. After pursuing careers as a lawyer and interior designer, the duo have decided to collaborate and launch a business that they are truly passionate about.

I’m sure we’ll be seeing more from Such & Such in future issues of Ernest Journal but in the meantime, time two minutes out of your day to watch their beautifully-shot launch video. A sign of good things to come.