The Knitting Station

Hannah Richards, former code-breaker at Bletchley Park and gay before the time of liberation, is recovering from a mind broken by the strain of secrecy. With the Cuban missile crisis looming, she’s one of a group of patients taken to Tharn, an island famed for its fantastic knitwear. Supervised by experimental psychologist Doctor Frederickson, their home will be the Knitting Factory, a Studio 54 for the Highlands, run by the mysterious Madame Jeanne. The Madame’s daring concepts in knitwear have brought her into conflict with the native knitters, most notably the formidable Mrs Montgomery. Negotiating the tensions of the island Hannah is convinced Tharn is about to be invaded by Russian agents. Not knowing who to trust, least of all herself, she confronts technicolour Highlanders and mushroom-induced hallucinations, assisted by East End starlet, Elsie Brixton and a psychotic sheep, Bette in a Whisky Galore! for fans of Mad Men.