Cat McLaughlin 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏳️‍🌈🏴‍☠️

@knittedpixel.bsky.social

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Things I believe in: human rights, kindness, learning about other cultures, and music, art & creativity as a powerful tools for healing. 💜 I’m fundraising for Cancer Research UK here: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/cats-race-for-life-2026

View of the Eildon Hills as seen from a section of the Southern Upland Way that passes above the town of Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.
A small tortoiseshell butterfly resting on the metal part of a train platform shelter, gathering its strength before flying away. Its wings are spread open and you can clearly see the light illuminating its beautiful wing patterns, with orange, black and delicate lacy spots of blue.
A small copper butterfly (Lycaena phlaeas) rests on a patch of flowering ragwort, which has yellow daisy-like flowers, with forest greenery behind. The butterfly is a vibrant orange colour with deep brown markings.
A small tortoiseshell butterfly resting on the metal part of a train platform shelter, gathering its strength before flying away. Its wings are spread open and you can clearly see its beautiful wing patterns, with orange, black and spots of blue.
Panoramic photograph of a bright spring day in May 2022, with lush greenery, yellow gorse in full bloom and the hills surrounding the town of Galashiels in the south of Scotland.
Extreme close-up of textured layers of acrylic paint on paper, in warm shades of purple and red. You can see expressive marks made using a palette knife.
A three-dimensional ampersand (the & symbol) painted white, in a stylised curvy typeface. It forms part of the sign lettering on a wooden bridge in Amsterdam's Beatrixpark.
Black & white photo. Close-cropped shot of a white woman's left hand. You can see the tiniest of dark feathers resting gently on my palm.
Round blue bowl with a colourful, carefully laid out salad, including pasta, cubes of feta cheese, cherry tomato, spinach and slices of fresh nectarine around the edge.
A perfect dahlia flower in bloom. Its sculptural petals are a delicate shade of pink. The flower head is framed by lush, deep green foliage in the background.
A tall viaduct spans across the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders. The bridge, known as the Leaderfoot Viaduct, appears to be built largely from red brick and has many curved arches. Two of the railway arches on the far left nicely frame individual trees. On one bank (left) is a green, gently sloping hillside, and the other side is packed with a dense green tree canopy. The sky is bright, with patches of white cloud and hints of blue. Photograph by Cat McLaughlin, shot on a Canon EOS 4000D DSLR camera. Taken in the summer of 2020.
Light streams into a freshly painted sage green hallway through stained glass panels (with a red rose motif) on the front door.
Cat, a white Scottish woman with long dark hair, is standing smiling in front of a Cancer Research UK Race for Life banner, proudly wearing her medal, having just completed her 10K.
Sign with a pink to purple colour gradient background. A small bubble says "Cancer Research UK Race for Life" and a lager bubble says "Race for my sister, Helen, our grampa Jim, my friend Amanda, and everyone affected by cancer."
A pale Scottish woman with long dark hair is standing in front of a full length mirror with funky purple-pink coloured lighting. She is looking directly at the camera and is wearing a black & red striped top, a maroon corduroy skirt, black opaque tights and shiny black patent leather boots.
A black & white self-portrait by Cat, a caucasian (very pale, Scottish!) woman with long dark hair. She is standing in front of a full-length hotel mirror, wearing a stripy top, a corduroy skirt, black opaque tights and patent leather boots.
Mixed media art on squared paper, a mix of drawing and painting, which depicts two vibrant purple bearded iris flowers in bloom. The word "iris" is hand-stamped in block letters down the left side and at the bottom "Iridaceae family" is handwritten in brush pen.
An explosion of pink cherry blossom, so dense they look like pretty petal pom-poms.
A dot-grid notebook with a double-page spread laid open. On the pale off-white paper of its pages are drawings of bearded iris flowers. On the right-hand page is a hand drawn tonal pen and pencil sketch of a sculptural iris flower in bloom. On the left page is a similar drawing of a different iris but this one has been rendered in coloured pencil, with green stems and purple petals. Art by Cat McLaughlin, the owner of the sketchbook.
Black & white photo of the Ross Fountain in Princes Street Gardens, which is a public park with a view of Edinburgh Castle. The fountain is a highly decorative, cast-iron structure and was made in the Victorian era. It features neoclassical figures such as cherubs, mermaids and water nymphs.
View from the ground looking up, with a huge, imposing stone structure looming overhead with blue sky and some clouds behind it. It is church-like with huge arches and gothic architectural details, known as the Scott Monument, in honour of Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott.
A public park, Bank Street Gardens in Galashiels (in the Scottish Borders) in May. The green grass is covered in pink petals shed by the cherry trees heavy with blossom. It looks like confetti or pink snow. In the park are old-fashioned street lamps and vintage-style wooden benches with decorative metalwork, lending the scene an old-fashioned charm.
View of the Eildon Hills (or as the Romans called it, Trimontium) in the far south of Scotland. A silhouette of three peaks against a blue sky with lots of puffy white clouds and a green hillside in the foreground, with the outskirts of Galashiels town just visible on the left of the picture.
A close-up of an intricate, delicate knitted lace fabric - clearly a work in progress, as it is shown on a bamboo wood knitting needle, gently held by a caucasian woman’s hand with glittery green nail polish on her nails. The deep wine-coloured yarn used to construct the cobweb-like fabric is very fine, made of silk, silvery threads that catch the light, and fuzzy mohair.
A window box full of some rather convincing yellow daffodils, which upon closer inspection turned out to be artificial fabric flowers!
clusters of pretty wild flowering bluebells in a woodland setting. the petals are heavy with raindrops from a recent shower.
Close-up of a left-handed Squier precision bass guitar. The body is a deep purple metallic glitter colour with a white scratch plate and black pickups. The guitar strap is black with a white cobweb motif printed on it.
An earthen path/avenue with flower beds either side, bursting with an abundance of vibrant spring tulips in a pretty rainbow of colours. In the distance are lots of leafy green trees.
Photo of a live show by Storm the Palace - an album launch for their La Bête Blanche record at the Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh, Scotland. Frontwoman Sophie is wearing demon horns, has long hair, and a dark, dramatic flowing dress. She is supported by her fellow musicians, a bassist, drummer and accordionist (the violinist is just out of shot!). Around them you can see spectators enjoying the show. The image is mostly black & white with a hint of colour, lending it a dreamlike quality (which is fitting, given the style of music).
A small cluster of flowering bluebells on the edge of a balcony with a garden in the background.
A ranunculus plant growing in a garden pot (the stem has done a loop-the-loop!), its petals are bright yellow and you can see clearly how it is in the buttercup family.
Detail of a handmade quilt with complimentary yet vibrant shades of orange/red and different hues of blue. The angles of the fabric pieces are irregular, giving it a lively sense of rhythm and movement. The quilting stitches by contrast have a swirling appearance. Overall the effect is that of a modern, abstract art piece.
Double exposure of a living room scene, with a fireplace and fairy lights. In the foreground is a tall glass on a wooden coffee table with a bunch of firey orange-red freesias in full flower.
Pretty wildflowers growing from tall green stems. The sun is illuminating delicate crêpe-paper-like white petals.
A patch of pretty daisy-like flowers in bloom, with pinkish-purple petals and green leaves. (I believe they might be Cape Marguerites.)
A large owl butterfly is resting on a slice of fresh orange and feeding on the fruit. Its colours are muted shades of brown, with a distinctive yellow and black "eye" or spot pattern on its lower wings. Leafy green foliage can be seen in the background.
A small copper butterfly (Lycaena phlaeas) rests on a batch of yellow daisy-like flowers with forest greenery behind. The butterfly is a vibrant orange colour with deep brown markings.
A beautiful tree at the edge of the Gala Policies woodland. Its green leaves are illuminated by the sunlight and dappling the moss-covered network of tree roots.
A close-cropped photo of a train platform edge with various markings and textures. The overall effect looks like bands of assorted horizontal stripes with a vignette effect/blurred edges. A thick yellow line has been painted on the ground, followed by a dot pattern of raised yellow bumps for the visually impaired, and the stencilled words "mind the gap" in yellow paint and a white-ish paving along the very edge of the platform.
High stone garden wall with some holly growing above it. There is a street sign that used to read "Victoria Gardens" but it's old and badly damaged with parts of the lettering having crumbled away.
View from above a set of train tracks at Edinburgh Park train station, looking towards the city. In the distance is the distinctive outline of Arthur's Seat and a blue sky with big puffy clouds.
The imposing ruins of Kelso Abbey in the south of Scotland, with a view of the cemetery within its grounds, where there are many lovely old headstones to explore.
Sketchbook page (neutral/creamy coloured bamboo paper) showing a coloured pencil drawing of a pink rose in bloom, surrounded by green leaves.
A purple anemone flower slowly begins to unfurl its petals, with delicate green leaves framing the bud.
Photo showing a view looking down at a flower bed full of beautiful firey-coloured tulips exploding into bloom like little fireworks against the earth and fresh green leaves below. (I'm no botanist but I think these are double tulips because of the profusion of petals!)
Small clusters of cowslips growing in a grassy garden lawn. Their dainty petals are a lovely cheerful share of rich buttery yellow against the green, with little "dots" of orange inside the central part of the flower.
Snapshot of a train window framing a view of the river Forth at sunset, with two large bridges visible: the Forth Road Bridge and the Queensferry Crossing. You can also see details of the train interior (red fabric upholstery on the seats, and red accent trim).
A seafoam green wooden door with a metal grille frames a view of a walled garden beyond, like a secret garden. Fronds of ferns reach up and gently obscure a pathway leading to a dark green door off in the distance - a plant-lined avenue of mystery with a blue sky above.
Close-cropped photo of a small glass vase with a posy of spring daffodils. Some flower buds are open and some are not. The central focal point of the image is one fully unfurled daffodil bloom with petals so delicate they appear to be made of the finest crêpe paper in a pale creamy white colour. The trumpet is a soft shade of lemon yellow and its frilly edges are a slightly deeper peachy orange colour. The darker yellow coloured inner stigma and stamen are also visible.
Close-cropped photo of a flower bed densely packed with spring tulips at the Keukenhof gardens in 2015. The visual effect, as they are in bloom, is a pretty carpet of white, soft peachy pink and deep pink petals unfurling in unison, offset by their green stems and sturdy leaves.
Black & white photograph of a dense cluster of roses unfurling their pretty petals in a cascade of loveliness. They are set against a dark background of leaves, which makes it seem like there's a spotlight shining on the rosebuds in full bloom. Photo by Cat McLaughlin, taken in July 2021.
A sunset scene, looking across from Gala Hill above the town of Galashiels (in the Scottish Borders) towards the Eildon Hills. There's a warm glow and the clouds in the blue sky are tinted by the evening sun, causing them to appear like wisps of fluffy pink candyfloss.
View from a plateau of one of the Eildon Hills in the far south of Scotland. There's a rough earthen path worn down on the right; the terrain is rugged, with clumps of grass, wild heather and other scrubby plants. In the middle distance are the other two peaks of the Eildons, and the countryside landscape stretches off into the distance - on the far left, some of the peaks visible are likely on the other side of the Scotland/England land border. In the sky above, the sun is shining through a blanket of wispy clouds with some blue showing through.
image with a purple background and yellow text. a megaphone with a speech bubble that reads "Save Trongate 103" text underneath reads: Community protest Friday 27th March 12pm-2pm 229 George Street G1 1QU Glasgow
A list of the organisations based at Trongate 103.
View looking across what’s known as “the Saddle” between the two larger Eildon Hills in the Scottish Borders. The hills are marked with hiking paths (they look a little like pale veins) and mostly covered with heather except for some bare patches of earth or scree. In the distance below the hills are green hills, trees, and a small settlement. The sky is cloudy but bright.
A carved stone cross entwined with beautiful decorative flowers as part of its design. Behind the headstone is a tree overgrown with ivy. In the background, golden sunlight casts long shadows across the other gravestones in the cemetery. Photo taken by Cat McLaughlin at Eastlands Cemetery in Galashiels, Scotland.
Close-cropped photo of the top section of an old headstone with a decorative rose carving, inscribed with the words “In Memory of” in gothic blackletter typography. The headstone is worn, weathered with age, and has moss and lichen growing on it.
Large statue carved from red sandstone set against a clear blue sky. The statue depicts the legendary Scottish hero William Wallace holding a shield with an “x” (likely intended to echo the Saltire, Scotland’s flag, which features a St Andrew’s cross) in his left hand and an enormous sword with his right.
An old stone wall with a reddish colour, lots of texture and spots of lichen with a carved out niche in it (in a kind of rounded plus-sign shape) and dainty little wildflowers spilling out of it in a decidedly romantic way - fitting for Abbotsford.