Shetland Wool Week 2015 Days 4, 5 & 6

At the beginning of the week I planned to blog every day but it hasn't happened like that - it has been a pretty busy few days!

On Tuesday I spent the day in the hub helping at the information desk and chatting to people. There were classes going on during the day:

Deborah Gray was teaching a class on Shetland Colours: Blending fibres.  Students were provided with a photograph of a Shetland scene and provided with fleece in primary colours and white.  The range of colours created were amazing. 

 

 

Helene Magnusson gave a class on the Icelandic lace dress with the help of her woolly assistant Henrietta!

 

 

The hub was full of knitters and spinners as usual: 

 

 

 

It has been really good to see the baa-ble hats but also really good to see other garments inspired by the hat.  These mitts were made by Amanda Richmond from NSW Australia.  You can see the project on Ravelry here.

 

On Wednesday I taught  "Introduction to Fair Isle Knitting" to a lovely group of ladies. 

 

 

 

 

In the evening I went to the Shetland Library, they were holding an informal knitting session (Stitches From the Stacks), the extensive textile selection of books were unearthed and knitters could browse through the books while enjoying a cup of tea and homebakes.

 

 

We were very happy that Felicity found her book Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook in the display!  (Have you noticed she has appeared in every blog post this week?!)

 

 

Today we had a visit from the knitting group from Whalsay school, this group is run by a group of volunteers and their knitting skills are amazing.  Its so good to see the younger generation so enthusiastic about traditional knitting.  They were all so lovely too.

 

Photo: Selina Miller 

 

We made some felt jewellery, they all ended up with a necklace an some felt "beads" they could make into a bracelet.

 

Their presence was a big hit  - here they are getting interviewed for Radio Shetland:

 

 

 Knitting projects!

 

 

Later on we had a visit from the knitting group from the Anderson High School - I wanted to get some more photos but I was so busy I didn't get time - I can't believe its Friday tomorrow!

Shetland Wool Week 2015 Day 3

I had no classes today so this morning on my way to Lerwick I stopped at the Scalloway museum. They are open all week and have a display of knitwear in the centre of the exhibition with a small selection of knitwear through the years.

 

 

 

 

Its not everyday you see a pair of Fair Isle underpants on top of a tattit rug (and before anyone asks these are not a serious item and were made for a joke!)

 

 

They have a small café with tables which makes an ideal place to knit a while and knit while enjoying a view of the Scalloway castle.

 

 

 

There was tea, bannocks, rhubarb jam and buttered oatcakes, all made by my Great Aunt Emma this morning.

 

 

 

Here she is - an amazing lady who at the age of 94 can do anything!

 

 

She is an expert at Shetland lace knitting:

 

 

There is also a shop area with an amazing array of handknits:

 

 

 

The museum is open everyday during Shetland Wool Week from 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., there will be locals there everyday demonstrating either knitting or spinning.

 

I spent the afternoon in the hub at Isleburgh, it was mostly chatting and not much knitting!

 

In the evening I had the pleasure of spending a wonderful evening at the museum lecture theatre where Ella Gordon and Kate Davies gave a very interesting talk on their collections of vintage knitwear.

 

 

 

Felicity (who introduced the speakers), Ella and Kate:

 

 

 

Some of Ella's extensive collection:

 

 

And I am still finding it a bit surreal seeing all the Baa-ble hats!

 

 

Speak tomorrow!

 

 

 

Shetland Wool Week 2015 - Day Two

Yesterday was day two of Shetland Wool Week.  I spent most of the day at the hub chatting with people and then was at the opening ceremony in the evening.  It was too late to blog when I got home so here we are now on day three!

The photos below show some of the highlights of the day and the opening ceremony (I didn't get a chance to take many photos at the opening ceremony).

 

Knitters gathering at the hub at Isleburgh Community Centre:

 

 

 

 The opening ceremony about to start:

 

 

Hjaltibonhoga Fiddlers opened the ceremony.  They are wearing outfits designed and made by Shetland based Niela Nell Designs

 

Beautiful (and tasty) Shetland Wool Week cakes:

 

 

Cutting the cake....I am wearing a tank top in ShetlandWool I made to wear at the opening - I will blog about it once Wool Week is out of the way!

 

 After the speeches and Q & A speeches we were entertained by the brilliant Felicity Ford AKA Knitsonik, who wrote this song about Shetland last year

And then she was joined on stage by Louise Scollay (who many of you will know from the Knitbritish podcast), who became Knitting Pundits - what would it would be like is knitting became as popular as football and was reported on the news?  Hilarious and very entertaining!

 

 

The evening was rounded off by the lovely Claire White, who was our compare for the evening, she sang a beautiful song she had written about the tale of Betty Mouat, who in 1886, set off to sail from the south end of Shetland to sell her knitwear in Lerwick.  A storm came up and the crew were lost.  She drifted for 9 days before she hit dry land - this expedition made her a bit of a celebrity.  You can read more about her here or by reading the essay about her in the Shetland Wool Week Annual Volume One.

 

 

There will be more pictures from today later on!

Shetland Wool Week Day One

Photo: Misa Hay

 

Today was the first day of Shetland Wool Week 2015!  This year, many of the classes take place in the Wool Week Hub, Isleburgh Community Centre and it is also a place to sit and knit, drink tea and coffee and to meet other knitters.

 

 

 

 

 Visitors are arriving from all over the world:

 

 Publications on sale in the hub:

 

 Project bags designed by the fabulous Felicity Ford AKA Knitsonik:

 

And here she is wearing her Baa-ble hat:

 

 

I spent most of my day teaching a group of lovely ladies a class on designing their own "toorie hat" or beanie:

 

 

 Some of my hats with Felicity's one in the front:

I will be at the Hub tomorrow afternoon and the opening ceremony in the evening. 

 

Maybe see you there!