Blog
Sandra's visit to Wool House
Sandra has arrived back to J&S safe and sound after her busy little trip to Wool House over the past weekend. Not only did she get to look around the fantastic woolly exhibition but she was also a star attraction herself, giving Masterclasses on Fair Isle and Shetland Lace knitting which proved to be extremely popular with even more participants than we were expecting! Sandra had made up a little exercise for each class that the participating knitters could try out, some attempting Fair Isle and Shetland Lace for the first time. She was really impressed by how quickly everyone got into it and really enjoyed both classes. Judging by the comments we have had back the participants very much enjoyed it as well. Some have sent photos of their finished articles which we love! It is great to hear that everyone enjoyed their day out. Imke Himstedt's knitted pouch from the Fair Isle Masterclass Joanne Clements' knitted pouch from the Fair Isle Masterclass Another little treat for those who attended the classes was a sneak preview of some new patterns designed by Sandra that we are working on. They seemed to go down really well, particularly a lovely yoke cardigan in sage green, so we can't wait to get them out to you soon. Tom of Holland, who many of you may know, also popped along to the class to meet up with Sandra. Tom is a self-taught knitter who prefers to use wool - particularly from British breeds - in his projects and specialises in the mending of garments and promoting this as a more sensible alternative for our throw-away society. We are excited that Tom will be working with us on a few things in the near future as we have shared opinions, many of which are integral to J&S and Shetland knitwear as a whole. You can read more about Tom on his blog here. Wool House is billed by the Campaign for Wool as 'the world’s biggest ever celebration of Wool' where 'all aspects of our favourite natural fibre will be explored' and judging by the following images Sandra took as she looked around the exhibition in Somerset House it is quite spectacular. There really is a huge range of applications for this beautiful fibre and we at J&S are lucky to work with the softest and bounciest one of the lot: Real Shetland Wool! The Campaign for Wool's Wool House runs until 24th March so you still have a chance to pop along and experience it for yourself if you can. Read more about it here.
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'Shetland'
As some of you may have noticed Shetland has featured quite prominently in the media recently. First came the 'Shetland Ponies in Cardigans' which made two locals the faces of Visit Scotland's 'Year of Natural Scotland'; then the Dance Pony Dance advert filmed up at Eshaness with ponies from Burra went a bit mad last week; and over the weekend our beautiful islands have featured not once but twice on the BBC with a little snippet of island life shown in 'The Great British Winter' on BBC2 on Saturday and finally the long anticipated 'Shetland' mini-series on BBC1 last night (Sunday). 'Shetland' is a 2-part murder-mystery drama based on Ann Cleeves' novel 'Red Bones' and heavily features Shetland's beautiful landscapes, culture (somewhat skewed for dramatic licence) and knitwear. We were quite excited to spot a few familiar pieces cropping up throughout it, including the Eid Top, Ireland pullover and something that looked remarkably like the Puffin Sweater by Kate Davies, but knitted in natural, undyed Shetland colours. Though it wasn't the Puffin Sweater it was beautiful and gave us great ideas for producing one in our Supreme Jumper Weight... If you recognised any other pieces we would be love to hear about them from you! Also look out for more on the second part of the series shown at 9pm tonight. Kate Davies' Peerie Flooers hat on the left One piece that featured prominently was the Peerie Flooers hat by Kate Davies. If you fancy making your own one Kate recommended shades from us that you could use, creating one that is truly Shetland made from Real Shetland Wool! You can purchase the pattern from Kate here and the shades she recommended are 202 and 14 for the background, and 29, 65, 131, 93, and 91 for the contrast colours.
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Wool House: The World's Biggest Ever Celebration of Wool!
J&S are coming to London! Or rather our Sandra is. She will be down for the the Campaign for Wool's Wool House event taking place in Somerset House from the 13th - 24th March. She will be in the Events Room giving two very special masterclasses: one on Shetland Lace from 2pm till 3.30pm on Saturday 16th; and another on Fair Isle knitting from 10.30am till 12pm on Sunday 17th. Similar to most extremely talented, yet humble, Shetland knitters Sandra would never class herself as an expert, but having knitted all her life with a great passion for it, she knows more than most. She can whip up a beautifully intricate Shetland Lace shawl in a few days and can create new patterns out of her head almost without thinking so that completely new jumpers, mittens and cushions flow from her needles perfectly formed. She will be giving a sneak-peek of some of these new designs over her weekend at Wool house, so get along for a look if you get the chance. These will be released by us over the coming months so keep an eye out for them. Wool House is billed by the Campaign for Wool as 'the world’s biggest ever celebration of Wool'. It is curated by renowned designer Arabella McNie and will be a 12 day showcase of wool, the greatest of all natural fibers, and its abundant range of uses, including crafts, fashion and home-ware. Leading designers will be there to showcase the use of wool in their work and explain how you could make use of this beautiful material yourself. There will also be specially commissioned artworks in place to display its striking beauty. In all, it is sure to be an unmissable event, so make sure to get along to it if you are lucky enough to be around London from 13th - 24th March. You can find more information about Wool House, including an events calendar, here.
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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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Tobys Coat
Carrying on with the theme of natural colours from yesterdays post we have a new kit to show you today. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Tobys Coat) Last year Sandra knitted her peerie dog Toby a coat to keep him warm, She used the motif's from the Rams and Yowes blanket. When Kate saw the coat on her one of her visits to Shetland last year, they chose to release it as a joint pattern between them, A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing is the result! Toby in his coat, photo by Kate Davies A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing (Tobys coat) uses all nine shades of Shetland Supreme 2ply Jumper Weight and includes the essential pattern features of the Rams and Yowes by Kate Davies. This coat is made from the tail upwards, casting on stitches for the belly and using contrast yarn to create and 'afterthought' front leg openings to be made later. The body is worked back and forth in stocking stitch. The neck is shaped by decreasing, and a ribbed edging is added all around the sides. if your peerie dog could use a coat just like Tobys you can buy the kit here and if you already have the wool you can download the pattern from Kate here woof woof!
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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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