Still thinking about a question about knitting influencers a few days after I saw it - and with the sad passing of Sue Blacker, here are some thoughts about inspiration, influence, and who really makes a mark on knitting..

.. there are people who don't have many social media followers, but whose work is completely integral to what we understand as knitting. People whose passion for sheep, fashion, construction, colours etc completely change the way people work.

Sue was one of those people. Without her passion for rare breeds and local sheep breeds, we'd have a very different knitting culture in the UK (and arguably further afield). She made us all consider words like "masham" and "BFL" and "knit local".

Everyone who came into contact with Sue Blacker began to reconsider what yarn meant and what yarn bases meant. There is a strong, vibrant Knit Local community now which champions lesser-known sheep breeds as well as sustainability.

We began to think about where yarns were produced. Where were they spun? What kind of processes did they undergo? What was the provenance of our yarn? Why do farmers get so little money from fleeces? That's the sort of influence Sue Blacker wielded.

She also gathered a team around her who was equally passionate about the stories our yarns contain. Many of these people went on to nurture these stories in other parts of the knitting industry. The quiet sort of influence that ripples outwards.

There are many people like Sue Blacker in knitting. Maybe not headline-stealers, but people who work quietly and change the way we engage with knitting just through their passion and beliefs.

I am so thankful to have met and been inspired by Sue Blacker. And I am so thankful for all the people who open up our minds as to what knitting is and what knitting does. She really did that.

Vale Sue.