Shetland Autumn 2023 Day 23; Sat 23 Sept ; The start of wool week and the Ollaberry Happening

Shetland 

Shetland would be busy today, as we week progressed there were more Wool Week people arriving and wearing their beanies, this year the super patterns was designed by Alison Rendall, the patron and what a fantastic patron she was too. The plan was to be at the Shetland Museum for 10.00 when the Hub opened. I could then collect my 2023 Annual and buy any merchandise I liked. I expected to recognise several faces. We would the. Have coffee in Lerwick and drive towards Ollaberry ready for the hall to open at 13.00. We have our ‘tea’ early and call it a late lunch. I so enjoy seeing the haps, and other knitwear, at Ollaberry, they are knitted by local people and the ingenuity and skill involved in these is tremendous. There is just so much to see. 

Today there was a craft fair on at Mareel, there were also workshops taking place and so we could not judge how ‘parking’ would be. 

The parking was manageable and I went and joined the queue, there were about 15 people in front of me, there was no crush, just people chatting to each other  whether they knew them or not. When the doors opened everyone went in a crocodile into the main hall and toward the room where the hub had been in previous years, however, I had read that the Hub was in the lecture theatre so turned left. I thus found myself the first person to pick up the annual! 

The merchandise this year was very nice. It was based on a sheep’s diet! That would have been special enough but in the foyer of the museum the display explained that this was taken from a book left to the Museum by Sir Walter Scott. The artwork in the book and on the   Merchandise was particularly good this year, however I think I say this every year. 

I was very restrained in my purchases! 

The bag and wasabi tape between the handles.

We decided to go to the Toll Clock Shopping Centre and have coffee at Skipideck. We had only discovered this this year, the coffee is great and so was the brownie! Today I noticed there was a stall in the precint, think garage clearance, car boot sale type. After my coffee I could not resist going to look and saw what appeared to be a little loom for £15.00. My initial thought was that it  would be good for displaying a mini hap for photographing. 

The lady seemed to be delighted I was buying it, but I knew it would fit in the van and after all we did not have many more night to have to move things around, also I had not bought a fleece this year and did not intend to buy one. Later I found out more about his loom. (1) 

We decided to drive onto Ollaberry, as it is several miles from Lerwick (about 34 but it will take at least 45 minutes to get there). I was keen to have a look at the annual. I was interested to see some weaving again this year particularly as it was Krockbragd. The pattern was written for a rigid heddle loom, but I would be doing this on a shaft loom. I tried to do some ‘thought weaving’ in my head but need to spend more time on this. I couldn’t see how finishing after row 45 matched with the 39 rows given. I knew it needed more of my brain was available at the moment. The annual is always good as it is more than the patterns, there are essays and these are always worth reading. As always it felt a very nice item to own. I have all that have been published and this is a welcome addition. 

A few pages from the annual

So the Hall opened and we went in and sat down, not wanting to be the first to choose a plate of food. I think our tummies told us we were being daft and we choose a delightful small plate of food. Whilst eating this I noticed that Patricia Douall had some exceptional berets, the colours were just so great. So I made a beeline for these and she encouraged me to take the two I was interested  in to the ladies and decide in the peace and quiet. I chose this one, which I love and have worn a lot during the winter. 

Beret 

just look at the colour transitions in this rib. 

 

I was particularly pleased with this purchase as she says she is not knitting any more, but concentrating on gloves. Her colour placement is great and the gloves are appealing too. 

We met up again with Gordon and Gill who have managed to get to Ollaberry, which is great as they are on the ferry tonight. It looks from the forecast that they are in for a relatively calm trip, ours tomorrow night looked much worse from the forecast. 

I also managed to catch up with several ‘Ollaberry’ ladies, including the doll hair lady. I am hoping to replace the hair on my childhood doll during the winter and wanted to check a few things out with her, having got the idea that I could do this myself from talking to her last year. (It did not happen, but the doll is now in the bedroom having been collected from the loft, so perhaps winter 24/25 might be the year she gets a fleece hair replacement. I do have the locks that I will use and now have more details of how to do it! (3). It was also a chance to catch up  with Betsy and Elizabeth Williamson and see for real their new shawls,  rather than just the patterns and also chat to Ann (Eunson) and Kathleen (Anderson)(3)  and their sisters, and of course wool week friends, mainly from abroad. But of course one goes to Ollaberry to slowly walk round and admire the haps and other knitwear. But I could take a week doing this and still want to look more. Such lovely people and  such quality work. 

A few photos from the Happening

Great photo of the shawls that Elizabeth and Betsy Williamson, which were new in 2023. There is a mini hap to go with each large one. I have all 4 patterns and have now knitted the mini Firth (the one on the right) and am know knitting the large version, having done the outer lace and virtually completed the second of the four boards. (4)

But all good things must end. We usually go to Eshaness before returning to Lerwick and our base. But today we decided we would go to Stenness, a beautiful place. Michael managed to get over the stile but felt unsafe walking down the slope to the beach. So I went to look at the stones and take photos, and reflect on our time in a Shetland this year. We had been fortunate with the weather, especially early on and had, as always, enjoyed our time in Shetland. 

Stenness

I just love this wall, I can see such inspiration for a naturally dyed fair isle garment. 

Eventually  Frankie’s was calling, the treat for coming  to this part of the island is that we can have superb fish and chips for dinner. Again, they did not disappoint. Sock it was time to get back to base and settle down for our last night here. We could see the Northern Lights faintly. Another note to myself to read up on photographing these when I am back. (Needless to say this has not yet happened).

Notes 

1. I took the loom to my local Guild ( Norfolk and Suffolk) and asked if anyone could help with identifying it. I could not tell if it was just for display or that the weaving on it had been done on the loom. One of the members announced she had one more or less the same that she brought back from living in Pakistan. What a small world this is. She thought it was a sample for a rug seller to have in their shop. I was then able to search for these online and see that they can come from one of several countries. I now have the dilemma - do I dismantle it and use it as I intended, or keep it as it is? No decision taken yet. It is just wrapped up in a moth free cover. 
2. The hair was replaced by a ‘doll hospital’ when I was a child, but it was done badly and I was always upset by the glue line on the actual face around the hair line. The hair was nothing like the original and a huge  disappointment to me. 
3. Ann and Kathleen carried out the analysis and charting and  knitting of the samples in ‘Shetland Fine Lace’ by Carol Christiansen. This was part of a 2 year project aimed at recording designs and enhancing the descriptions of some of the 400 pieces of knitted lace in the Shetland museum collection. In so doing must have the greatest knowledge of traditional Shetland motifs that there is. 
4. The patterns can be found here