Norwich Shawls, Shetland Fine Lace Shawls and the Shetland Wool Week Annual 2024

What a lovely surprise to get the 2024 Shetland Wool Week annual fall through the letterbox on a very wet and windy day yesterday. 

Usually we are in Shetland to pick this up from the hub, and last year I was the first to get my copy. 

However earlier this year I had some medical issues and we took the decision to not go to Shetland for Wool Week this year. In fact I had my second appointment in cardiology just last week and got some very positive help  with my problems. (It turns out the problem is not with the heart muscle but the nervous control. Reading between the lines it is another aging problem! )

September here has been very busy. Norfolk has Heritage Open Days with special events and I have been able to go to ones related to Norwich Costume and Textiles that I can’t ever attend. These have been great and I have been able to study further the ‘Norwich Shawl’ trade and just on Saturday see, unexpectedly, up close, a very rare example. (1) 

If you have never seen a Norwich Shawl, this is a small piece of one I have had the pleasure of studying. 

There is much more information about them here, on the costume and textile association website  

But, back to the Shetland Wool Week Annual. This is the 10th edition and I am so glad I have all 10. 

I think they get better each year (this one has more pages than last year). This one is really great, it does contain knitting patterns by local Shetland knitters, 10 being represented. It contains fair isle as well as lace patterns ranging from Helen Robertson’s  flying flock (with lace coats) to the Laebrack Hap by Elizabeth Johnston which can be knit as a square or triangle. I was taught to spin many years back by Elizabeth and have since benefitted from her expertise in several workshops. There are two other patterns I particularly want to mention, Skalva Socks by Freya Hutcheson who learned her knitting by being a member of Shetland Peerie Makkers and is just 16, a name to watch for the future. The other is a lace knitting pattern by Betsy Williamson, called Winyadepla , so good to see a lovely pattern of Betsy’s. She has been knitting since she was 4 (like me!) and as anyone who has visited Shetland Wool Week at Ollaberry will know she is a lovely lady with lace knitting in her blood! 

But this is only about one part of the annual which this year looks back over the 10 years of its existence and is very much a heritage issue. The introduction by Hayley Anderson ‘celebrates the creativity , heritage and community that knit together the pages of her beloved annual’. But to me it is more than knitting together the beloved annual, this is what Shetland knitting, whether it be fair isle or lace, is all about - the creativity, the heritage and the community that make up Shetland Knitting. In the second half of the annual there are always interesting articles and this year this section includes more about the lace knitting traditions that form the new ‘Bible’ of Shetland Lace Knitting, Carol Christiansen’s book ‘Shetland Fine Lace Knitting’ using the lace knitting collection in the Shetland Museum and Archives collection as well as associated research. (2)

Later in the day I was fortunate to hear some local Shetland people speak. Hazel Sutherland, the Chief Executive of Shetland Amenity Trust that ‘does’ (her word) Shetland Wool Week. It was very good to hear that the two main focus points this year for wool week are Natural Colours and the Shetland Lace following the Publication of Carol’s book following concern that Shetland Lace in a traditional does not become endangered and that the skills are not lost. Elizabeth Williamson, the Chair of Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers and Dyers, during a long interview also referred to the Shetland way of knitting a lace shawl as being part of what is Shetland Lace Knitting. 

Another wet day here today so a day of knitting Shetland Fine Lace (currently on the 4th board of Betsy Williamson’s daughter Elizabeth Williamson’s Firth pattern ) and in the intervals getting lost in Shetland amongst the pages of this annual. 

Notes

1. Norwich Shawls were at the height of their production between about 1750 and 1840. They are magnificent large woven pieces that were exported around the world and many of them contained ‘Norwich Red’, a scarlet colour for which Norwich was famous. 
2. Shetland Fine Lace Knitting recreating patterns from the past Carol Christiansen is available online from Shetlandheritageshop.com and all good bookshops. 

Shetland Autumn 2023: Day 24: Sun 24 Sept: Shetland SKWD Exhibition and teas and catching the ferry back to Aberdeen

This was our last day and the weather forecast for the ferry journey was not good. In previous years, at this stage we would have delayed the journey. Having the motorhome means we don’t have to fix up other accommodation. However, it was not that simple this year, getting us and cabins and the motorhome on the same ferry would take some doing. We had talked to other  motorhome owners during the week and they had been quoted mid October as the next likely date if they postponed. I knew also that local people could not travel when they wanted. It seems three factors were different from pre Covid days, less sharing of cabins, more ferry traffic due to both the wind farm and space centre. We also felt it was time to get back as we were being away for a month  anyway. So we gritted our teeth and decided to risk the boat. Then we were told the  boat was going to leave at 5.30! This set alarms going in my head. 

We spent the morning clearing up and making sure we had everything ready to pick up and take into the cabin. 

We then left for Tingwall and decided that we would have our ‘Guild tea’ as a light lunch as we did at Ollaberry. It was frustrating that I would need to pack up my little part of the exhibition early. I was keen to see the Guild items as several of the members had not set up their work when I left on Friday. Kathleen had displayed her shawls along from mine, I certainly did not feel worthy of being along the table from such Shetland Knitting Royalty. Kathleen and I laughed about this. I did know that Kathleen had spent lockdown knitting haps for her family, I did not know that this meant 12! It was good to see the article from the local press about this and see them all wearing them. 

 

The magazine containing the article

She was also displaying some of her intricate faultless fine shawls and was actually knitting something amazing during that Sunday afternoon, being a mix of silk, wool and cashmere I believe. (1)

A section of a shawl on display

 

It was also nice to hear that my dyeing including the way I presented and labelled it was much commented on by visitors to the Guild exhibition. It is always nice to talk to visitors to an exhibition and find out what sort of wool work they do too. I love these exchanges. 

My  natural dyeing and handbag made from woven fabric. The solar dyed selection  is in the yellow box on the left. 

But one also goes to the teas to meet people and admire the great knitting made and worn. Always such a treat. 

A general view 

I was delighted to meet up with Satoka, from Japan who I first met pre Covid. Her spinning snd knitting of fine lace is fantastic. She had brought a shawl to show me, unfortunately I only have photos of us examining without the shawl in the picture, so this one shows a couple f people accompanying her on the trip. Great attention to detail in them too!  (I am wearing my 2024 hand dyed yoke jumper (ie the motifs are knitted in naturally dyed J and S yarn) and my black and white fair isle cardigan which I designed as a trial for the ground elder one. I still love this one which is now over 10 years old. 

We needed to be at the ferry at 5.30 rather than 7.30 so I had t leave the  teas early. We got to the boat on time and were soon on board, We did have a small ndinner on the ferry, although not many did. Eventually the waiting staff decided we needed to be escorted to our cabin. It was safest to take Michael in a wheelchair as the boat had quite a bit of movement. I had taken the tablets but was keen to lie down. I do not think I slept that night but was kept as calm as I could be listening to ‘The world in 100 objects’. Neither of us was physically ill, but we hardly slept and having to hold on to the bed to avoid being forced into the air was a new experience! The captain said we were avoiding the eye of the storm, that is why the journey was longer! When we arrived in Aberdeen the next morning it was still rough and we had to hold on to move on the boat. We were told the swell was expected to be 4 metres in the night. I have no idea if it was or if this is fair or bad. I do know it was a life experience that I will do all in my power to avoid in future. I think it was our 18th crossing on the ferry and to have one bad one in that number sounds good now but it did not feel good at the time. 

We did not have the complementary breakfast in the morning. I drove off the ferry and we stopped for about a quarter of an hour in the terminal car park to check we were feeling ok to drive on. Before we left we had already decided that we would not rush home and that going to Perth for the night would be a good plan. Little did we know what the rest of the journey had in store for us. 

Notes 

1. Kathleen won first prize plus at the Highland show  in the summer of 2024. Her lace design and knitting is truly exquisite and got more rosettes at Voe Show. This should take you to a post from Skeld Hall about Kathleen and photos of the winning shawl.