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wool week days 5 and 6
Yesterday was another busy day for us at J&S, in the morning we had another Fair Isle class with Hazel Tindall, filled with people from the waiting list of her first class!! it was so busy i never managed to get any pictures in the morning but in the afternoon we had one of our most subscribed classes. Hap Shawls with Gudrun Johnston. using jumper weight wool she had the class knit a mini version of this hap, it is so lovely! Then in the evening we had our official closing ceremony and launch of the Shetland Heritage Collection. Together with the Shetland Museum and Archives, Jamieson & Smith developed this new range of worsted spun wool to recreate the old handspun colours. These are the four kits the Shetland Museum have released. They range in skill level and each kit contains everything you need, the pattern, the wool and even the needles! They're available online on the Museums online shop from Tuesday. They also had some of the original textile items from the collection out on show for us to see the inspirations. We have some new patterns coming out soon which are inspired by a few of the items above... you cant celebrate these things without cake, and whats better than a Fair Isle cake?? Today there were no classes on in the shop so Sandra held the fort there and i went to see the Flock book events up at the Marts in Lerwick (the Shetland Rural Centre) Here Oliver (the wool man extraordinaire at J&S) was grading fleeces on the sheep in the ring and awarding prizes for the best entries. The notes next to this fleece said it was near perfection! we then popped to the Shetland Textiles Open at the Bod of Gremista, and i saw mine and Sandras entries - i even won a prize! and i took this picture of my peerie niece outside the Bod Tomorrow there is a weaving class on in the shop and then its back to normal on monday.. Wool Week 2012 has been amazing!
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wool week day 4
today was a slightely quieter day in the shop, we had another class taught by the lovely Gudrun Johnston, this time she was focusing on Knitting in the Round. using the Melby Dress which is in Knit Real Shetland Gudrun had the ladies knitting the cap sleeves in the pattern. A great way to get into the circular knitting without doing masses of rounds of rib! With it being so busy in the shop we've had Stuart (usually he works in the woolstore this time of year) helping us with orders but today he had to go and do a bit of organising.. this was clear on Monday. poor Stuart.
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wool week day 3
Just one class today, but it was a good een! A whole day of lace with Gudrun Johnston Gudrun had the group making a mini shawl, such a good idea to try out different techniques but achieve something tangible from the day. We made sure the group left with enough wool and the pattern for Gudruns latest pattern for us: Loren everyone knitting away. Then tonight we had an evening of chatting about lace. Local lace legend Mary Kay was there, Gudrun talked about her lace knitting and the lovely Monique Boonstra spoke about her lace making including the stole she recreated from half a photo in the Shetland Museum Photo archives!! I cant believe its Wednesday already. More pictures tomorrow!
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wool week day 2
Today we had no classes in the morning and managed to get lots of online orders posted off, in the afternoon we had a lovely class in the shop with Hazel Tindall and tonight we had a meet up of our Ravelry group tomorrow is a day of lace, we have a class with Gudrun Johnson and in the evening talks with Gudrun, Mary Kay and Monique Boonstra. Talking of lace, the Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers and Dyers had published a book - A Legacy of Shetland Lace available here. The book features a wide range of Shetland Lace Patterns and is lovely to look at, we have some copies at the shop so have a look if your in! More pictures soon. xx
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wool week day 1
So Wool Week has begun, today in the shop we had a great talk from Jen Arnall-Culliford about making knitting a career.. the best career i can think of!! And tonight we had a Trunk Show from Kate Davies featuring her new collection of garments and accessories all knitted in J&S 2ply jumper weight.. i also snapped a photo of Coop Knits in her Puffin Apple Hat by Cloudy Apples knitted in our lovely Shetland Aran weight.. i just love the yellow next to her lavender hair! more pictures of Wool Week soon.. :)
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Beware of Imitations..
Being unique brings with it the possibility of imitation. We are proud to work with Kate Davies. Her designs have specifically been made for our wool, to showcase its particular palette and properties. The nature of real Shetland wool is that it blooms during blocking to create the 'halo' that's characteristic of all great Fair Isle knitting. To ensure you support the majority of Shetland Wool producers and help to keep the sheep on the hill, buy from Jamieson & Smith. Over 700 local suppliers provide us with the wool that makes your hats, gloves, blankets.... etc. When purchasing Jamieson & Smith you can be safe in the knowledge that the product you buy is 100% Real Shetland Wool. just so you know..
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Royal Visit
Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex visited Haworth Scouring and Combing Companies in Bradford on the 24th July. She officially opened The Wessex Room which was so named in honour of the Royal visit. The wool processing companies are owned by Curtis Wool Direct Ltd, the parent company of Jamieson and Smith Shetland Wool Brokers Ltd. Her Royal Highness found the tour of the plant interesting and it served as a useful introduction to the Campaign for Wool, which was convened by HRH The Prince of Wales, her brother in law. Her Royal Highness was particularly pleased to meet the guests at the event as they represented many different sectors of the wool industry. Among the guests were Mike Meehan, Managing Director and Chris Harrison the Operations Director of Vi-Spring who showed her the Real Shetland cut-away display bed. Adam Curtis Managing Director of The Real Shetland Company showed the range of Real Shetland carpets, one of which is fitted in the wonderful Wessex Room, throws, duvets, scarves and knitting kits which are all made in Real Shetland wool. Haworth Scouring is probably the most environmentally friendly scouring plant of its type in the world. On the same 12 acre site is the combing plant, which increases efficiencies hugely and is where the Real Shetland tops are combed before being spun into the new Real Shetland Heritage Collection of yarns that have been developed in association with The Shetland Museum and Archives. In the Wessex Room Jamieson & Smith knitting kits, yarns, accessories, and books are all on display. The Countess was presented with a 1ply Shetland Supreme lace scarf called the St. Ninian, designed and knitted by Mary Kay of Lerwick. The yarn used is worsted spun from 100% Real Shetland wool, this method of spinning captures the main characteristics of Real Shetland wool, exceptional soft handle, combined with a subtle strength. It was explained that Real Shetland wool is seen as the pinnacle of Curtis` British wool production but that within the Campaign for Wool, all wool is equally important. The knitwear designer Kate Davies, the ambassador of Shetland wool who designs items made from Jamieson & Smith yarns, was there to demonstrate hand knitting. With an array of products made from wool, from carpets to bespoke hand made suits, from tennis balls to handbags, throws to dresses the whole display was epitomised in the installation created by artist Angela Wright which was made with wool that came from 40 different countries – that is what the Campaign for Wool is all about and it included Real Shetland wool, one of the great fibres of the world. read how Kate Davies enjoyed the day here
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Lace Collection 2012
Anderlea by Ina Irvine Loren by Gudrun Johnston Quarry by Ina Irvine Early Spring Blossom by Nancy Bush Dunella by Kathleen Anderson Shetland Crescent by Kieran Foley Shetland Bound by Monique Boonstra Great Grand Aunt Leezie's Scarf by Mary Kay Tether by Ysolda Teague And here is the last in a flurry of new releases. The Lace Collection has been our little secret jewel, in the planning since Shetland Wool Week. There are pieces in Jamieson & Smith 1 and 2 Ply Supreme from some of our favourite designers in Shetland and further afield... 1. Anderlea by Ina Irvine 2. Loren by Gudrun Johnston 3. Quarry by Ina Irvine 4. Early Spring Blossom by Nancy Bush 5. Dunella by Kathleen Anderson 6. Shetland Crescent by Kieran Foley 7. Shetland Bound by Monique Boonstra 8. Great Grand Aunt Leezie by Mary Kay 9. Tether by Ysolda Teague And with that, some changes are afoot at J&S. Sarah is off to pastures new. From Monday, Ella and Sandra will be taking care of the blog as well as keeping in touch through Twitter, Facebook, Ravelry and email. We've written this post together, saying hello and goodbye at the same time. Wish us all luck...
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New yarn launch - Shetland Heritage
Today we’re launching Shetland Heritage yarn, the newest addition to the collection. Shetland Heritage yarn recreates the original characteristics of handspun ‘wursit’ used in old Fair Isle garments. The yarn is replicated from that found in knitted Fair Isle garments in the collection of Shetland Museum and Archives. Wool experts, specialist dyers, curators and knitters have worked together to develop and trial Shetland Heritage yarn, which is worsted spun from Jamieson & Smith’s combed tops to give a soft feel, and a smooth finish. The yarn is slightly finer than the four ply we use today to knit stranded colourwork and Fair Isle. Instead, it gives a definition and complexity of colour and pattern that goes right back to the nineteenth century. Shetland Heritage Yarn is part of a collaborative project between Shetland Amenity Trust, Shetland Museum and Archives, Curtis Wool Direct and Jamieson & Smith (Shetland Wool Brokers) Ltd. Together, we were inspired to recreate the worsted spun yarns in Fair Isle artefacts in the Shetland Museum’s collection after the success of a project to revive Shetland Fine Lace in 2010. As with all of our wool products, every stage of development and production is carried out in the UK and is made from the wool of over 700 of Shetland's crofters and farmers. We’re working with local knitters and the amazing Jen Arnall-Culliford on translating artefacts in the Shetland Museum’s collection to hand knit patterns. This collection of garments will be launched during Shetland Wool Week 2012. Technical info: 25g, 110m/120yds, 2.8nm worsted Tension: 30 sts and 32 rows = 10cm/4in over Fair Isle pattern using 3mm needles Enjoy... x
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