We were on a moderately tight schedule as we needed to shop
to enable us to eat for a week on Unst and then drive to Belmont for our ferry
booking after lunch. A visit to the Tourist Information Centre was essential, a
visit to the Shetland Times Bookshop, with their great craft section, was
important and I had picked up that there was a Craft Fair on at the Museum
which couldn’t really be missed. We managed to fit in all three and have time
to cook lunch before the ferry.
Not bad for a view from a car park in Lerwick
The Tourist Information Centre was just as fantastic as I
had remembered it. Lots of beautiful craft work, lots of nice interesting
cards, really helpful beautiful leaflets about all sorts of things and staff
that really go out of their way to help. So we stocked up on things for Unst
and Fetlar as we knew we would be back in a week.
The Bookshop was great and I restricted myself to just one
Fair Isle book (Fair Isle Knitting Patterns by Mary Macgregor) – for this
visit!
Provisions shopping went quite well, Tesco made it easier
for us as there were gluten, dairy and wheat free things, and Globe Butchers
and Scoop Wholefoods helped, so that DID leave time for a flying visit to the
Craft Fair at the Museum
I can’t recall visiting the Museum before – it is stunning.
It is at Hay’s Dock, the last remaining area of original dock on Lerwick waterfront.
View at Hay’s Dock
The Museum is very contemporary and spacious (more later).
The craft fair was in one of the downstairs rooms and also outside where there
were pop up ‘sheds’ a bit like my knitting machine studio for those that know
it! There was a great variety of high quality work for sale from the makers – I
just concentrated on the knitted items, but there was much more. I chatted to
Nella from Nielanell who makes the most amazing garments – knitted artwear.
Take a look at her site www.nielanell.com
. We first met at Wonderwool where she was visiting the people who now do
Timbertops spinning wheels : www.woodland–turnery.co.uk
. Jeanette (who I visted in Perth is a mutual friend). Well didn’t buy anything
from Nella on the day – but there is a fortnight to go .. and we had to drive
about 55 miles and get 2 ferries then we would be on UNST ‘ the island above
all others’
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