A final wool-week round up . . .
prize-winning Shetland fleeces
Traditional tam in natural Shetland sheep-shades from the Shetland Museum collection.
Weaving sample book from the museum collection.
Fairisle swatches from the museum collection – some worked as individual swatches, most simply cut from old garments to preserve the pattern.
Swatches of more recent ilk! Gudrun (wearing Norie and Aestlight Shawl ) and Mary Jane lay out the source material from Mary Jane’s invaluable new book 200 Fairisle Motifs. Order your copy today!
I found it quite overwhelming looking at Mary Jane’s beautiful swatches – I could have gazed at their infinite variety for hours – but I was repeatedly drawn to those at the centre of this photo.
Here is Sarah examining the gorgeous garments from Gudrun’s collection, while wearing a natty cardigan of her own. . .
. . .in fact, Sarah is always clad in interesting knitwear. He she is once again trying (and failing) to avoid the camera wearing a cardigan knitted by Sandra Manson (whose Viking Tunic you’ll find in the Knit Real Shetland collection), and a tam made by her friend Ottilie.
This is a Sanquhar glove, knitted in laceweight alpaca on teeny-tiny needles by Masami Yokoyama.
Masami (the elegant figure in the foreground of this photo, with Sue and Megan behind her) is a superlative knitter, and a great Fairisle designer too – you’ll find the pattern for her Osaka tea-cosy in the Knit Real Shetland collection).
And to close – perhaps the most inspiring hand-knitted piece I saw in a week full of knitting inspiration. This is a prize-winning lace dress, owned by Cathie Leask and knitted by her aunt over fifty years ago. The tale of this beautiful garment was part of Cathie’s entry in the Shetland Stories Competition. I felt very privileged to be able to see this dress, while reading Cathie’s memories about it.
Even in Canada we hope you are well.
Emily
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Hi Kate
I just opened the comments on this post (wonderful as ever) to ask the same as Donna above. Hope you are ok.
Hugs Sue
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Hello Kate,
I would love to have the pattern for sarah’s red tam! Is it available somewhere?
I’m just knitting the caller herrin’ and love it!
Thanks,
Isabell
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Kate
I hope things are alright with you, it has been a while since you posted and I am concerned.
Hoping you are well just busy.
donna
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I expect it gets a bit old having readers ask “OMG ARE YOU OK” every time you go offline for a bit. Still, I hope all is well, and that you are offline for reasons that are at least fun ENOUGH!
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Beautiful post. I am in awe of such wonderful work.
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Gosh, almost a week with no post, hope you are doing woolly well.
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hithere! thank you and hoping you are well!
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Kate?
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What a beautiful place to see, the fairisle is lovely. I have knitted one fairisle vest, with some of those patterns in it, it was called Ovaltine, it is probably the best thing I have ever knitted, took ages, but so timeless.
Love the blog Kate.
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Hi! Just want to say I’m so very glad I found your blog! So much inspiration, such lovely designs – wow! I’ll be back soon.
Have a nice day / Marie
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Wow! I have never been to an event like this. So many beautiful inspiration! I like Sarah’s cardi with chevron pattern a lot.
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Thanks so much for sharing! Wonderful little universe you live in!x
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What a series of inspiring posts – and the colours in this one – mmmmmmm. I must go back to Shetland next year, I must go back to Shetland next year, I must…
There’s a Welsh word, ‘hiraeth’, which is almost impossible to translate – longing, nostalgia perhaps for a specific place. Someone once translated the Gaelic equivalent for me as ‘the shape of the mountains is forever etched in my heart’. If you can have an attack of hiraeth for somewhere outside Wales (and you evidently can), then these posts have given me one. Sigh… Braewick Cafe, Hay’s Dock, the Crofthouse Museum, the colours…
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Those are the most wonderful colours and photos, espcecially the table full of swatches. Glorious!
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Breath taking photos! I can’t knit like that but to think there is always a possibility one day…so nice to dream.
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I find myself super attracted to the natural tones now… so strange. I see them everywhere. I can’t tell if it’s because it’s in trend, or if it’s because I am just liking them more. Your Sheep Heid comes in a timely manner which makes me think that it’s beyond my own eyes. Natural tones.. lots of them !!!!! I have been very into earth-toned colors my whole life, but now I believe it’s time to order those Nine Shades from Jamieson & Smith and go for it !
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This was more than I can stand with all the lovely yarn on the shelf and swatches – this is knitting !!! Thank you for letting us in your world.
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I just can’t even put into words how thrilling this all looks!
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Thank you for all your reports on wool week, they have been inspiring of awe and envy! Such beautiful work, such wonderful landscapes, such amazing knitters (especially as I have just had my arse kicked by a pair of fairisle socks). Can I be a Shetland knitter when I grow up?
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Ohhh, I’m envious! All that lovely knitting, all that lovely landscape!
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I really have to come a spend a year somewhere in the Isles!
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Sarah’s red tam! Even though it’s not traditoinally-colored.
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I just love it all… A fairisle project is working its way into this world!
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Thank you so much for taking the time to share your pictures and experiences of Shetland Wool Week. I love Shetland and would love to have been able to be there to soak up all the wooly events. It’s great to get a flavour of what is happening.
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Oh what an amazing experience!
I really like Sarah’s stripe-yoked jumper – is it a pattern or “oot a her heid”?
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I have loved reading this sequence of posts.
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Lace weight stranded gloves? Holy god!
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Your series of posts have been a treat to read. Thank you!
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I love Sarah’s Tam Lovely. The rest is to die for I would to experience it one day… So breathtaking. Thanks for sharing
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Inspiring indeed! The patterning on the naturally-colored tam is superb – I’m wondering whether I could reverse-engineer it from the screen photo. But what to praise, where all is wonderful: the Sanquhar gloves, the swatches, Sarah’s red tam, the sheep, the landscape . . . I need to cultivate my travel budget, pronto.
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Really lovely work all around. Thank you, Kate, for sharing it with us. I feel almost as though I had been there myself. Stranded knitting has, in the past, given me fits. But I think with the stash of Shetland yarn I’ve acquired I have no choice but to give into my true desire to work towards becoming a full-fledged colorwork knitter – especially with so much excellent inspiration here on your blog.
– Rodger
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:) :) :)
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Gorgeous! Breathtaking knitting and scenery.
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Thank you so much for your reports from Wool Week. The photos are wonderful–both indoors and out, of people and swatches–I’ve enjoyed them all. And of course I immediately ordered the book.
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Very interesting and beautiful post. What a wonderful place– and I love your commentary.
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That’s an overdose of woolly goodness!
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Swoon!
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More beautiful knitting! So stunning. I like the look of the anchor pattern that is peeking at the corner of your picture of the swatches from the museum.
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Amazing post! Especially love the picture of all the swatches with the huge cubbies of yarn in the background, serious knitting porn:0)
Love Sarah’s fairisle sweater and tam, patterns?
Thanks for giving us a peek into your knitting adventure.
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Colour me GREEN! You clearly had a fabulous time :D
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What a fabulous trip you had – I do hope this becomes an annual event.
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Ordered the book can’t wait.
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Beautiful knitting in the pictures and I like the backgrounds as well; lots of yarn and magnificent views over the Shetland isles.
Love the ram!
I am more and more drawn to the natural shades of Shetland wool, partly because of your posts .
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