Blog
Chequerboard Leaf Cardigan
Here at J&S we often work with distinguished designers and one that we've been working with since 1969 is Sasha Kagan. Sasha was the first designer that used Jamieson & Smith yarns in her work and her first book 'The Sasha Kagan Sweater Book' is filled with designs using our 2ply Jumper Weight, we still get phone calls from people looking for the wool! Her most recent book covers 4 decades of hand knitting design, 'The Classic Collection' was released in May 2011 to coincide with her 'My Life In Textiles' Exhibition. It includes the first design she made using J&S, the Silver Birch Scarf. We have a new design by Sasha Kagan, The Chequerboard Leaf Cardigan, which was designed in partnership with NFU Countryside Magazine. The design features a twisted rib, eye catching leaf intarsia and a blackberry stitch basket weave design. This cardigan is worked flat and in pieces then sewn together. Sasha's designs often feature themes of nature and the changing seasons, the pattern on the cardigan reminds me of the leaves falling off the trees in Autumn, which will be here before we know it! If you'd like to knit the Chequerboard Leaf cardigan, you can find the kit on our online shop here. Happy Knitting!
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North Atlantic Native Sheep and Wool Conference - Shetland - 2013
It has been a busy few months at J&S and we are very excited to have played a small part in the initial organisation of the North Atlantic Native Sheep and Wool Conference 2013 which is coming to Shetland in October. Following on from the previous two conferences in Orkney (2011) and Bergen (2012) it is a must-see for anyone interested in Shetland Sheep and their cousins around the North Atlantic. It begins on the Friday of Shetland Wool Week - 11th October - and continues until the following Tuesday 15th October. The programme is packed with activities including: a look around Shetland Agricultural Centre, with wool grading and sorting, a visit to the abattoir and sheep and wool sales; a day trip up to Yell and Unst visiting Hermaness National Nature Reserve to discuss common grazings there, spinning and knitting demonstrations and talks on the use of wool in local arts and crafts; talks from experts on subjects ranging from the genetics of North Atlantic Native Sheep to their importance for the local economies of their places of origin; and a large conference dinner featuring Shetland's famous local produce and music. Not only will visiting delegates gain a valuable insight into North Atlantic Native Sheep and sheep farming in the region, but they will also get to experience a range of Shetland's landscapes, being immersed in its culture during their trip. For anyone who wishes to attend the conference, or if you are just interested to know more, you can have a look at the programme (which was created right here at J&S!) below. Note - if you want to print it off, the second link should work better for most systems. North Atlantic Native Sheep and Wool Conference 2013 North Atlantic Native Sheep and Wool Conference 2013 - printable If you want to know more contact conference organisers: Emma Miller: emma@shetlandamenity.org, +44 (0)1595 69468 or Pete Glanville: pete.glanville@shetlandorganics.com
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Weaving With J&S Yarns
Here at J&S we hear a lot about the knitting being done with our yarns but for a change we have some lovely weaving that was made using Jamieson & Smith. Amy Gair is a Shetlander who after studying at Shetland College (With Ella) has gone away to Galashiels in the Scottish Border, arguably the home of weaving in Scotland to finish her studies. detail of the Cape Amy has come home for the summer and brought in her cape she made for the Farlin Project, an exhibition of craft and poetry by partnerships between poets and craft-makers in Shetland and Fife, in the project Amy was paired with Poet Andy Jackson. Amys Cape, woven using our 2ply Jumper Weight In Amys own words: "The Storytellers cape was made using 100% Shetland Wool, and the theme behind it was the sea. During my first few months away from Shetland, it struck me just how lucky Shetlanders are that they get to see the sea from almost every angle.The idea of this being the story tellers cape came from the idea that the sea holds many memories and stories, good and bad, but not everyone know’s what they are. The cape is supposed to hold all these stories in one, evoke memories of the sea and places we call home to its viewers." This is the poem which was written to go in connection with Amys Cape: Rashiecoats Marriage Guidance Who wears a cloak of woven gold? Has no-one told you glam is out, that foxy royals favour shabby chic? These days it’s all about the bold rejection of convention, so shout it from the highest turret; weak is the woman who marries for wealth - a rich man would happily marry himself. Who would wear this feathered cloak? Do you think the birds would give the very things that make them free, without a fight? The kind of bloke who breaks a wing would have you live in batteries, clipped and flightless. He may lure you with his cooing words, but choosing to be caged is for the birds. Who would wear this cloak of reeds? Hope you had the sense to keep the gift receipt. You may start to plan your strategies of love, the seeds of passion germinating in the deep of your womb, disrobing for your man rush by rush, but girl, here’s the news; love is just lust in sensible shoes. Andy Jackson To read more about the Cape and about Amys weaving you can see her blog here, we've had the Cape in the shop for a couple of days and we've had so many comments on it. its beautiful!
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Colours Of Shetland
Sometimes in middle of the North Sea it can take a while for things to get to us.. so although we have been packaging up all the orders and recognising the colours since December we now have copies of Colours Of Shetland by Kate Davies in the online shop, Yippee! the Ten designs featured in Colours of Shetland. top row: Ursula Cardigan, Northmavine Hap, Puffin Sweater. middle row: Stevenson Sweater and Gauntlets, Puffin Mantle and Scatness Tam. bottom row: Scatness Tunic, Ursula Mittens and Northmavine Hoody These ten designs are all made in our 2ply Jumper Weight which Kate describes as the flagship Shetland Yarn. Shetland wool is sticky (as in the fibres join to each other) which makes it perfect for Fair Isle colourwork and Steeking. We love gathering up the different colours and imagining what is being made with our Yarn. If you make any of Kate's designs we would love to see pictures, you can send them to our Facebook page or to us on Twitter. What's your favourite design from the book?
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Yarns International
This is a Guest blog by our Manager and Wool Man Oliver Henry on the Closing of Yarns International: I write this “blog” in appreciation of the efforts and commitment of our good friends at yarns international, Betty Lindsay and Bonnie Hassler. Their aim to make a difference toward the well being of native Shetland sheep, in particular natural coloured sheep. Shetland Sheep, photo: Oliver Henry It is with sadness I learned from Ravelry, of the closure of this “trail blazing” company, however in reflection over the years it has been a privilege and joy to work with them in their desire to raise the profile of Shetland sheep. 2ply Shetland Supreme Jumper Weight Betty and Jo Lindsay first visited us in 1997, I recall her utter dismay when I showed her the coloured wool and told her that there was no market for this wool. The main reason being that spinners of Shetland wool at that time preferred to spin white wool and dye it to the natural shade, thus providing the end user with a consistent guaranteed shade. Betty said she would go away and do something about this and in September 1998, true to her word produced travel logs, the first of 4 books featuring designs using their brand name for native Shetland wool, Shetland 2000, which today is our Shetland Supreme 2ply jumper range. The other books were Appalchin portraits, Chesapeake collection, and postcards from Shetland, as well as many more unique designs, such as my favourite the sheep saver. A very apt name to call Betty and Bonnie! Sheepsaver Sweater Native Shetland coloured fleece was and still is, graded and hand sorted by us and blended into the 9 shades required by yarns international. The yarn is spun to a specific yarn count, to suit the finished garment required by yarns international. Shetland Sheep, photo: Oliver Henry We at J&S handle 80% of the islands wool clip, most of which is white. The coloured wool amounts to approximately 4% of the total we purchase. It is therefore a challenging task to produce 9 unique shades from such a small amount of wool. Betty Lindsay in the middle with some of the J&S staff when she visited We at Jamieson and Smith and the wool producers of Shetland would like to thank yarns international for their support and commitment in promoting and raising the profile world wide of native Shetland coloured sheep. You have indeed made a positive impact on the future of our island breed. We wish you well and our best wishes in your retirement. In closing we are pleased to say we have a modern day “sheep saver “in Kate davies. Kate also has a great desire and commitment to secure the well being of Shetland sheep. Producing stunning designs such as the sheep heid tam rams & yowes blanket, and sheep carousel. Using the same distinctive yarn as yarns international. Oliver Henry.
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Christmas Time at J&S
Christmas time has arrived at J&S so we have been happily decorating the shop in between serving customers and packaging up & sending off hundreds of little woolly parcels. Our new kit samples look so Christmassy that they are taking pride of place displayed opposite the Christmas tree. My mam has already finished the Annie Jumper for my baby nephew (with a few alterations, as knitters can do, to fit the little fellow) and is now moving on to the Peerie Bairns Jumper for my neice, so that's some of their presents nearly finished! We also have three new kits on-line to add a little bit more celebration to the occasion. The Fair Isle Cap, like the Fair Isle V-necked Jumper, is from the textile collection in the Shetland Museum and Archives and is made from our Shetland Heritage yarn. It is thought the original came from Fair Isle itself and would have been a fisherman's cap made from local wool, hand spun and dyed. It has a plain lining made from the Peat Heritage Yarn and so it is doubly warm, keeping your head cosy and snug over a cold winter. It is also soft and beautiful and definitely something to treasure. The original Fair Isle Cap from the Shetland Museum and Archives collection The second new kit is the Karelides Cardigan by Outi Kater, a beautiful, Finland-inspired Fair Isle cardigan which makes excellent use of the natural shades of Shetland Wool. Its design reflects the beautiful, subtle nature of this undyed Shetland Supreme Jumper Weight yarn. Kate Davies' Warriston is now available from us not just as a bundle of yarn but complete with beautiful pattern from Kate herself. It is a raglan smock knitted in Shetland Aran with inset pockets, cowl neck, and raglan shaping, perfect for this cold winter weather. This is just one of Kate's stunning designs in our yarn and we hope they keep on coming as she is great to work with. The Heritage Yarn, with its beautiful warm shades that fit so well into our shop's Christmas decorations, has been a huge hit with knitters so far so we are planning on expanding the range of this worsted yarn. It would be great to hear all of your opinions on this and what colours you would like to see, including those discontinued shades of ours that you long to make a comeback. You can leave a message on here regarding this or email ella@shetlandwoolbrokers.co.uk with your thoughts. We would really appreciate your input. We will be closing on Friday 21st December and won't open again until Monday 7th January so any orders received during this time won't be sent out until next year. But when we get back we will get them out to you as soon as possible. Have a great Christmas period and happy knitting!
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Brand New Kits!
The hard work is done and the patterns are printed so we can finally reveal four new Fair Isle kits to add to the J&S collection. Two of these are in our 2ply Jumper Weight yarn which I'm sure most of you are familiar with. The other two are in our new Shetland Heritage yarns that are inspired by the original hand spun 'wirsit' that used to be commonplace in the Isles. Three of these were designed by our very own Sandra Manson who is an expert at picking out colours and blending them together in beautiful patterns to create amazing garments. The first of these is the Antarctica Hat, Mittens & Neckwarmer. Sandra initially designed, knitted and gifted these to Dr Alexander Kumar whose address throughout 2012 has been Concordia Station, Antarctica. Dr Kumar learned of the wonders of Shetland wool for keeping you warm when reading of Sir Earnest Shackleton's trip to Antarctica over 100 years ago, when he was protected from the bitter cold with the aid of Fair Isle wool garments. We have had reports back that Sandra's knitting has helped keep Dr Kumar comfortable, or as comfortable as you can be in as cold as -91°C! You can learn more about Alexander's trip here. The second of Sandra's designs is the Peerie Bairns Jumper. This is an extremely cute little thing inspired by traditional Fair Isle patterns handed down over generations. It is completely flexible, with options available in blue or purple and for ages 2, 4 and 6. Though the more adventurous among you could try knitting it in different colours if you prefer - just make a note of the different shades of 2 Ply Jumper Weight you want in the Delivery and Order Comments box at checkout. The Peerie Bairns Jumper will definitely keep your peerie bairn cosy whilst making them look oh-so-cute. The third of Sandra's designs - and her first in our new Shetland Heritage yarns - is the Annie Jumper named after our Ella's neice. The Heritage yarn just oozes authenticity when it comes to Fair Isle knitting and Sandra's use of patterns brings it all together into a lovely little gansey. This yarn is also perfect for knitting for children as it is worsted spun, making it bouncy and soft to touch. The Annie jumper would also be suitable for boys or girls and is available in options for ages 2, 4, 6 and 9. My mam is currently knitting one for my nephew and I cannot wait for him to try it on! The final one of our new kits for now is the Fair Isle V-necked Jumper. The pattern for which is based on a garment in the Shetland Museum's Textile Archive which was one of the inspirations for the new Shetland Heritage range. The yarn for these original pieces was commercially spun but hand-dyed and it looks almost as good as new and very much like the new range. This shows just how well Shetland wool can last if cared for. One of the striking features of the garments in the Shetland Museum's Textile Archive is how they have been patched over time to match the original colours and pattern, giving them a real sense of history and emphasising their beautiful hand-made quality. This jumper truly is an heirloom piece of real Fair Isle knitting and we are very excited to finally be able to offer it to you. Detail from the original museum piece. Image courtesy of Jen Arnall-Culliford The kits are all available now and can be found here! (or directly by clicking on each kit's name above)
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A Legacy of Shetland Lace
A Legacy of Shetland Lace is a new book released by the Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers and Dyers. A collection of 21 stunning projects designed by members of the Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers and Dyers. The book contains everything from scarves and stoles, to wraps and lace tops. As well as the patterns the book has wonderful pictures and explanations of abbreviations, Shetland words to do with knitting, grafting and finishing. Each pattern is supported by a biography of the designer which charts their story with lace and knitting. There are patterns in this book from some of the best lace knitters in Shetland. Hazel Tindall, Mary Kay, Ina Irvine and Kathleen Anderson to name but a few.. The Legacy of Shetland Lace is a modern and contemporary book that encapsulates our lace knitting history in a group of well designed patterns. photo courtesy of the Shetland Museum and Archives Shetland ladies were (and still are) renowned world- wide for their superb knitting skills and their ability to produce designs from their environment and surroundings. Not only did they carry out most of the croft work they also were accomplished hand spinners and would spin a gossamer fine lace yarn which would be knitted into shawls or scarves. These works of art would be sold to the local merchant or knitwear shop and provide much needed income. All the patterns in the book can be knitted with our Shetland Supreme 1 and 2 ply worsted yarns which come in a range of five natural colours, any patterns calling for 2ply can also use our 2ply Lace Weight Yarn which comes in twenty five shades. There is a lovely pattern by Hazel Tindall which calls for Chunky Shetland wool, in which our Shetland Aran BSS16 would be a perfect match! We at J & S are proud to say that we have reproduced such a fine yarn as used to produce these unique garments all these years ago. In conjunction with our local museum we attempted to revive the art of Lace knitting which was becoming a thing of the past. Part of our inspiration was taken from reading in the local archives that Queen Victoria had stockings made in Shetland from Shetland wool. The yarn used was a combed worsted yarn and not a carded woollen spun yarn, the worsted spinning produces a smoother finer stronger thread which captures the unique characteristics of Shetland wool, especially the soft handle required to wear next to the skin. We congratulate the Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters,Weavers and Dyers on their superb publication A Legacy of Shetland Lace. Their efforts and skill carries on the distinct culture and heritage of some of the finest knitters in the world. The book is available here for £23.99
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Wovember 2012
It is already half way through Wovember 2012 and we have realised that all has gone quiet on the J&S blog front recently. So to contribute our little bit to this magnificent month we thought we would give you a little sneaky peek behind the scenes here to show you where all your wonderful wool comes from. We start off in the wool-store, which could be described as the hub of Shetland's wool industry with more than 700 local crofters delivering their wool - ranging from bundles of a few kilos to trucks full with a few tonnes in some cases - through our big green doors. We then sort through the bags, fleece by fleece, to separate them into the different grades and natural colours with the finest being used to make fine lace and the toughest for durable wool carpets. The wool is then squashed into bales by our trusty old baler ready to be shipped and scoured, carded, combed, spun and dyed into the cushion filling, combed tops and lace and yarn that we send off to you. Some of it comes back to us transformed into beautiful rugs, carpets, duvets and even the life-changing Vi-Spring beds. We sent off our last load of wool for 2012 yesterday which has left room in the main store to clear out the coloured wool-store and sort each coloured fleece into the different grades, ready to be sent away in the final load of this year's wool season - usually in April - and processed into all of our natural, undyed products. This final 12th shipment will bring this year's total to over 240 tonnes of wool: a total which is usually greeted with a look of amazement from anyone who hears it. When the products finally arrive back here after their long transformation they take pride of place in our shop that is joined onto the wool stores where they first became part of J&S as raw wool. The shop was expanded in 2010 to make it three times its original size and give all of our treasured woolly products room to show off. It is now much-loved by knitters who can rummage around, comparing and contrasting colours to create their very own Shetland Wool knitwear. The shop also doubles up as the mail-room where we make up, package and send out orders from all over the world. This makes it a very busy place every morning until our postie comes just after 12 to take away the parcels. However, we love making up the little woolly bundles so thank you to each and every one of you who has ordered from us and helped support Shetland's wool industry. I just thought I'd end with an image of what makes this all possible. The humble Shetland Sheep with its world-beating wool in its wild, exposed habitat that makes it all so magical.
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