Madeline Weston and her partner opened their shop The Scottish Merchant in Covent Garden in 1970, and for 20 years it was known as the place in London for buying beautifully made, authentic garments sourced from all parts of the British Isles. Madeline also owned a yarn shop and has done extensive research into traditional knitting patterns; an authority on the subject, she is the author of Country Weekend Knits (Jacqui Small, 2008) and Country Weekend Socks (Jacqui Small, 2010). She now lives in Norfolk.