Celebrating Shetland Wool Week hats and the knitters who make them

an image of the article as it was laid out in the Shetland Wool Week Annual 2019

When I was writing about Bam & Pops’ visit to Shetland, I remembered that in 2019 – to commemorate the tenth year of Shetland Wool Week – I’d researched and written a piece for the Annual, celebrating Shetland Wool Week hats and the knitters who make them. I asked if it would be OK to […]

Bam and Pops in Shetland

Bam and Pops stand outside J&S with their beautiful sign featuring the red logo and the words HOME OF REAL SHETLAND WOOL

Back in the spring my Mum (Bam) mentioned that she and my dad (Pops) were planning to go to Shetland this July. Since my parents only planned to be in Shetland for two days, I wanted to prepare them for their trip so promptly sent them Volumes 1 – 3 of the fantastic Shetland Wool […]

FO: Bousta Beanie

There has been a lot of charting and knitting to do this year for Book No. 2. However, although I have been staunchly committed to using All Available Knitting Time for working my own patterns, I confess that the joyous prospect of working a Bousta Beanie for Shetland Wool Week proved irresistible so I bunked […]

What people made…

…in my KNITSONIK classes during Shetland Wool Week. One of my favourite things is teaching the KNITSONIK System to comrades excited about translating their world into their own unique palettes, patterns and shading schemes. This year I offered three different types of class during Shetland Wool Week, each of which was a variation on this […]

Shetland Wool Week 2017

As you may have gathered, I’m back from Shetland Wool Week 2017! I thought this year’s event was particularly good and I had a truly amazing time. Today I want to reflect a bit on what makes Wool Week so special; every year I return invigorated, inspired and humbled by being in this beautiful place […]

An Open Letter to the Shetland Islands Council

To The Shetland Islands Council, I write to express my dismay on learning of your decision to not renew Promote Shetland’s contract, which puts three people out of a job and imperils the inspiring work that they have done. From the outside, the decision appears deeply short-sighted. I am frankly at a loss as to […]

KNITSONIK 11: Sounds from Shetland Wool Week

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, […]

Shetland Teas in the South this Sunday…

One of the highlights of Shetland Wool Week is the Sunday Teas with the Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers and Dyers. Sunday Teas are something of an institution in Shetland and are held all through the summer months on Sundays in community halls throughout the isles, often to raise money for the hall or […]

Shetland Wool Week 2013 in Pictures

For today’s “Shetland Wool Week in the South” celebrations I am just going to share some of my favourite moments from Shetland Wool Weeks 2013 which was the first Shetland Wool Week that I was lucky enough to attend. 2013 This was my first Shetland Wool Week! I was there with my friend Tom and […]