I have a new podcast out in honour of Shetland Wool Week, in which I share and reflect on sounds recorded at previous Shetland Wool Weeks; I am so happy to share these sounds with you and I hope you enjoy listening to them and my rather enthusiastic commentary throughout. (Can you tell I really, really love Shetland Wool Week?)
I always love to hear your thoughts on the podcast and welcome your feedback. This is quite a long one, so you might want to enjoy it with a very deep cup (or pot!) of tea.
Sounds + links in the show:
The birds roosting in the back of Harald Street in Lerwick; the soundtrack of our evenings staying there in 2015.
An excerpt of my song ‘Eddie’ (an ode to my digital sound recording device).
‘The Gansey’ composed by Tommy Stove, announced at the opening ceremony of Shetland Wool Week in 2013. Announced by Stephen Gordon.
Niela Kalra of Neilanell and Margaret Robertson of the Hjaltibonhoga Fiddlers speaking about music and knitwear collaborations at the opening ceremony of Shetland Wool Week in 2015.
The Hjaltibonhoga Fiddlers playing music at the opening ceremony of Shetland Wool Week in 2015.

‘Knitting Pundits’ by myself and Louise Scollay including the live audience at the opening ceremony of Shetland Wool Week 2015 and the edited version of the piece including our punditry.
Outtakes from recording ‘Knitting Pundits’ including the glorious laugh of Louise Scollay, one of the happiest and best sounds for me during Shetland Wool Week 2015.

Sounds recorded at The Flock Book up at the marts during Shetland Wool Week 2015, including Oliver Henry and Jan Robertson judging ‘Wool on the Hoof’, gates opening and closing, rams baaing and the sounds of the auctioneer.

Oliver Henry giving a talk during Wool Week 2014 about Shetland Oo, and the grading and sorting of it. (Includes a lovely story about a ram called Martin that belongs to Jan Robertson.)
The calming tones of a spinning wheel recorded during a spinning demonstration at the Shetland Museum.
Laureen Robertson’s magnificent ode to Leg-waarmers, sung by many of us during the Fianna, put on by Shetland For Wirds during Shetland Wool Week 2014.
The sound of the Lerwick town hall bells striking midnight and eleven pm in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
The sound of the Reading town hall bells striking four pm in 2015.
Wild Weather recorded at Papal, East Burra, in Shetland 2015.
The beautiful sounds of Burramin Beach, East Burra, also recorded in Shetland 2015.

The sounds of the Shetland-themed Sunday Tea that we held in Berkshire at Purlescence last Sunday, in which our collective knitwear display celebrated the influence of Shetland Wool Week on the knitting in the South of England!

A shout out to Saskia of Jawol in Rotterdam, for bringing a bit of KNITSONIK to Shetland Wool Week this year.
Some talk of the KNITSONIK totes, and also the KNITSONIK YouTube Channel, home of this fun video featuring the jingle, ‘It’s got KNITSONIK on it’ by Mark Stanley.
I close with some lovely bells that were given to me by Josh Moll, and which I cherish in the KNITSONIK palace.
Josh has recently released a beautiful shawl called Tatjana, after her godmother (who also owned the gorgeous bells) which you can see here;
I WANT TO KNIT THE SHAWL!!!
YOURS IN PODCASTING,
FX
Thank you so much for all those sounds ! And for your lovely narrative ! Good knittings and soin de to you.