Shirley A. Scott, also known as “Shirl the Purl,” has made her home in St. John’s since 2006. A librarian by profession, in 1989 she wrote Canada Knits, a history of Canadian knitting. Shirley is a lifelong knitter with a keen interest in the fascinating traditions of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Shirley co-authored four popular books, Saltwater Mittens, Saltwater Classics, Saltwater Gifts and Saltwater Socks. Saltwater Mittens won the Best Atlantic Published Book Award in 2019 and the Saltwater Knitting series won the 2021 Atlantic Canada Craft Award for Excellence in Product Design.