Blog
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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Alexander Kumar: Guest Blog - Wool Week
Celebrating wool week: warmest greetings from the coldest place on Earth By Dr Alexander Kumar One year ago I had no idea what I was getting myself in for, as I prepared myself for my departure to the coldest place on Earth - Dome Charlie located high up on the Antarctic Plateau - the world's largest desert and the coldest, loneliest, most desolate and remote place on Earth. And here I stand, still alive with 10 fingers and 10 toes, which have been protected by Shetland's finest. 100 years ago Sir Ernest Shackleton brought fair isle wool to Antarctica. Following his fashion and sense, I decided I would do the same. Jamieson & Smith (Shetland Wool Brokers Ltd.) based Sandra knitted me several bespoke, unique and colourful items which I was fortunate to have through what I now describe as the 'worst winter in the world'. We are completely isolated here for 9 months from February until November. Temperatures dropped below -80 degrees Celsius as the sun disappeared for over 3 months- leaving our European team of 13 alone in the dark. Over the Antarctic winter your senses turn to perceiving in black and white, but now the sun has come back I can enjoy the colours once again and the Shetland Fair Isle designs are wonderful and warm. And in that, because I am still warm, I can leave you with my warmest greetings from the coldest place on Earth, proud to wear like explorers of times gone, Shetland's continuing unique contribution to Antarctic history - happy Shetland Wool Week! To read more about Dr Alexander Kumar's adventures, please visit his website www.alexanderkumar.com
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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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