Shetland Wool Week photo album - Land of Rainbows

Shetland Wool Week photo album - Eshaness

Crofthoose hats!

Shetland Wool Week Photo Album - Lerwick

Lerwick, on a sunny (and windy) day in September 2016

S for summer and shawls *1*

I first så this shawl on the Knitting Amigas podcast. It's called Golden Sand and is designed by Joji Locatelli, and is made for the charity Sight is Life working in Congo DR, a country that I actually visited back in 1988. I liked the shawl and the project, and when the pattern was published just before my summer holiday, I decided it would be perfect holiday knitting, lots of garter stitch, and a little lace. 

The pattern is written for one colour, I used two. The yarn is a sock yarn from Shibui Knits, in two shades of purple. Ravelry project page here.

The shawl pattern can be bought as a single pattern, or as part of an e-book. There is a Ravelry group for the project. 

I had just enough yarn left from my two skeins to make tassels!

I almost can't wait for autumn!

Photo album from Edinburgh - page 3 - knitting

My marlisle hat
started in Sweaterspotter's class
on the Thursday of EYF

Spring Festival shawl
blocking in the window of our room in Edinburgh

My Next year in Lerwick cardigan
got a style award
when passing by Stephen &Penelope's booth.

At Susan Crawford's Vintage Shetland Project talk.

Trying on the unfinished hat walking home from
the corn exchange on a sunny spring afternoon

Coffee and knitting break

Photo album from Edinburgh - page 2 - people

My super knitting and travelling friend with her new Penguin bag from Anna Maltz aka Sweaterspotter.

















Two Next year in Lerwick knitters from Germany/Poland. How great is that!
Sweaterspotter at her booth in the market place and Claire from NHKnits who interviewed me for her podcast.

Photo album from Edinburgh - page 1 - touristy things

Me outside St. Andrew's Castle

View from the entrance of Edinburgh Castle

Sunday walk to Stockbridge Market

Walking  home from the festival along the canal

A nice walk along the Water of Leith

Foggy afternoon in Edinburgh

Holiday shawl knitting #2

I was able to finish a 2nd shawl during the holidays. This is the pattern 

Roma shawl by Kirsten Kapur - finished at Christmas, as you can see.

I have made it once before. I love the contrast between the lace and the garter stitch stripes. 

Details on Ravelry.

I wrote in the last post that I don't knit shawls. Obviously, that is not entirely true, when I look at my Ravelry page, I find that I've actually make four of Kirsten Kapur's shawls before. Her patterns are very well written, and many (the ones I have chosen among others) do not have very complicated lace. 

Shetland Wool Week was lovely because of....

... the people I went there with

Triple selfie with hats - photo taken at Sumburgh head,
borrowed from Pinneguri

Knitting in the afternoon sun,
Scalloway

...the yarn

Jamieson mill at Sandness

... the light

So, I've finally got around to blog about my trip to Shetland Wool Week earlier this month. I will make it short and sweet, with mostly photos, over the coming few days.

Best Easter ever

... say the Norwegian newspapers. Or was it best Easter in 30 years? Anyway, it's been a fantastic Easter in most of Norway. My good frient Elisabeth shared this photo on Instagram:

You'd think they were made to match, but they're not. The hat is Sheep Heid, by Kate Davies, that I made for her this Christmas. The mittens were a Christmas gift the year before that, "All I want for Christmas"

Shetland Diary - Thursday

On Thursday, we had three cars heading for Unst Heritag Centre, to see their collection of old lace items, and to see the norhern parts of Mainland Shetland, and the two northernmost islands, Yell and Unst. While waiting for everybody to arrive, we had al look at some of the fleece at Jamieson and Smith.

We arrived early for the ferry to Yell. Took some photos and luckily we had brought our knitting, it was quite windy, so we stayed in the car knitting.

Two of the cars just got on the next ferry, but not the last one.. So here is a photo from the ferry quay in Unst, where we waited for the last car. 

And so we arrived at Unst Heritage Centre. Here is a photo of the traditional cockleshell lace pattern, in a scarf. Here are some more photos of cockleshell lace.

I now realize, I did not take many photos. You can see more photos on  FrisianFrillies' blog, and on MoniqueB's blog. Monique is an amazing lace knitter!

On the way back, we stopped to see this copy of a viking ship, and a viking house. Unst has "the highest density of rural Viking sites anywhere, including Scandinavia" according to Shetland Amenity Trust.

We also stopped at Bayanne House in Sellafirth, a small gallery with textile art, kntting, embroidery, all with motifs from Shetland, and frames made from material found at the beach. The top one is my favourite.

We had a lot of fun at the Littlehamar bus stop, obviously decorated for the London Olympics 2012!

With two ferries on the way back too, obviously, I was quite tired when we got back to Lerwick. My friend was waiting for me in town, she had joined a knitting class that day. The beer and the sheep we had for dinner, tasted deliciously. 

So that was the end of our Shetland adventure, for this time. We both want to go back another time. Maybe visit in summer to see more of the islands and the birds. And definitely another wool week some time.

Thanks for following my trip and for the comments you've made. Hope you have enjoyed it. I definitely have!