Shetland Autumn 2023 Day 11: Tues Sept 12 : Lace Knitting at the Old Haa Yell and more

Today we were off to Unst for a few days and winding our way through Yell, the island in the middle, on the way up. 

We had booked the first ferry for 10.45 am. On the way we decided we would divert to Brae and buy some fish to cook for tea and some pastries, at the co-op. However, this was a bit further off the route than we estimated and the ferry was already being when we arrived. This was most unlike us. There seemed to be a lot of traffic for the ferry including one very large and one moderately large lorry, the latter being already on the ferry. We got loaded, the smaller of the two lorries was taken off and after head scratching and cars being packed more closely it boarded again. The ferry staff do an amazing job not only getting as much on the ferry as they can and making sure it is well balanced. However, we were pleased we booked as some cars got left behind. 

Once onto Yell we took the right turn around the island by the slow route and went to the Old Haa Museum. We made coffee and then I went in while M cleared up, I was going to look at Knitwear and he correctly decided I would be a while! 

This really interested and attracted me. Coming from Norfolk, we have such interesting rocks on our beaches back home and we have been on several walks to look at these  in our ‘Deep History’ part of the coast, the north east corner of the county. To me there is a great lack of suitable books naming these so I was keen to look at the rocks here. 

A lovely greeting outside the door of the Old Haa, Yell

I was not  disappointed, every opportunity was taken to help the visitor know more about the rocks on display in the museum. I am also into ‘shells’ in a big way and similarly they were brilliantly labelled and displayed. I will only include an indication here of what can be seen at the Old Haa, if you can do visit. 

Shells (rather large but I can now just about read the names!)

Then it was time to look at the knitwear. I love to visit these local museums as they include knitwear made by local people and there is always such regional variation. It is by looking at knitwear like this one is able to get a better feel for what Shetland Lace is …… and what isn’t (to me) Shetland Lace and what to me could more appropriately be called  ‘inspired’ by Shetland Lace. To me Shetland Lace is more than the motifs, it includes the construction techniques and somehow the passed down history too. I was in for another treat today. 

Great use of natural colours 

The display had been put on particularly to cover wool week. There were shawls, but there were also other pieces  too including a lace beret and lace cardigans. 

Beret 

I think  these cardigans are great, they not only show the normal lace knitting skills, of getting the yarn, needles and the pattern balance correct but also understanding shaping and getting these to fit the the human body. Well, not just any human body but probably the body of the knitter or one of the family. These are truly great pieces to me and they do not compromise on ‘a good fit’ either. 

I saw several in Whalsay and now there were more to look at here. There was also some  framed lace, some from Shetland Wool Week 2022 from a workshop Hazel Laurenson had led and also several other samples of lace that had their status raised by being framed, quite correctly too in my mind. 

Framed  lace knitting 

For many years I have been on a shawl ‘mitre’ study, there are so many ‘Shetland’ ways of doing these and so I homed in on more to add to my personal collection here today. 

Another mitre 

Eventually I tore myself away and it was nearing lunchtime. We drove through the middle of the island and stopped at a favourite spot by a bus shelter. (1)  Often the bus shelters are  decorated well. There is the famous one in Unst, but the ones in Yell are pretty special too. How uplifting! 

 

.... and my favourite

After lunch it was time to get the ferry to Unst. 

This was taken while we were in the queue, improvements are being made to the jetty.

 

We went straight to the Uyeasound where we would be staying for 3 nights overlooking the sea. This year we would be able to use the hostel facilities as we did pre covid. It is always good to chat to other visitors to the island. Two disappointments, there is no internet available this year, due to the cost and lack of a proper service for the money, my phone which uses Vodaphone mainly works. Three which Michael uses has no reception here, but I can lend him a connection!  Also the drier is missing, but there will likely be plenty of wind! However, we are so pleased to have got here. The sun was out and it felt special. 

Photo at Uyeasound

Notes

Bus shelters. Throughout the islands bus shelters in Shetland frequently have a car park next to them. This is a good idea as people can drive to the bus stop and then collect the bus and once off the bus drive home. Or this could aid car sharing. It is such a sensible idea. 

Shetland Autumn 2023 Days 9-10 Mon 10+ 11 Sept: Rest Days!

We were determined that we would build in some rest days this year and I guess this couple of days must count as those! Michael deemed his foot was better! He was not in pain and the swelling was much reduced so it did look as if we were not needing medical help. That was good as we had booked lunch at Bonhoga for Sunday. The plan was to visit the Hatchery second hand bookshop opposite and then take lunch in Bonhoga and look at the exhibition of work from Helen Robertson, Niela Karla, Lisa Hooper (based in SW Scotland) and Ellie Duncan. We also aimed to do some housekeeping things, like washing and cleaning the Motorhome. Clothes washing facilities were great at the campsite but of course everyone has washing to do, so it is a great chance to chat to fellow campers as people congregate there. 

All went to plan, it is always good to go to the Hatchery second hand book shop, it is well organised and the books are clearly labelled with the price.

The Bookshop in the Hatchery is on the right

 

I picked up three useful books, one on weaving, a book on Nature  Photography and one on Rag Rug making. I have found that my old (80’s ?) information books, for example machine knitting, books are crammed full with useful advice. 

It was as if the authors had loads of knowledge and understanding. Perhaps I am being cynical but all too frequently this is not the case these days with some people producing   a book within a year or so of beginning to learn. So I had three more gems to find space for when I got home. With the books from Shetland Library I was getting my own little temporary library in the motorhome. I was hoping to be able to read some in these two ‘rest’ days. 

We were glad we had booked lunch in Bonhoga, we had been disappointed on a previous occasion when we just called in and could not get a table.  Michael went back to the motorhome to rest his leg and he would have struggled to get to the top floor for the exhibition anyway.  I enjoyed looking round and was reminded what a range of talent is to be found in Shetland. The exhibition was well presented and it was a pity, I felt, that I was the only one looking round. I do hope many visited during the time of the exhibition. 

We drove back to the campsite via Lerwick. The plan was to read the menu for The Dowry and C’est La Vie and hope one of them would be open for dinner on Monday. C’est La Vie was our choice, there was no visible menu for the Dowry. Perhaps it was not open on a Monday. We would be hoping to fit in a visit there later in our stay.

On Monday evening we enjoyed a superb meal at C’est La Vie and it took us back in time to a couple of French Restaurants we used to frequent  in London, one in a back street in the  West End  and one in Blackheath where we lived. Special memories. When it came to Monday evening, we were pleasantly surprised when C’est La Vie got full, this was a Monday evening and it was not even wool week. As we sat eating our meal many people were turned away too. We are very much looking forward to our next visit there. 

Monday brought a change in the weather and we hoped it was not a return to the normal sort of weather we get in Shetland at this time of the year. We were going up to Unst. I had brought some of my Natural Dyeing to show the Ladies who knit and spin at the Unst Heritage Centre (3). I had with me the triple set of my skeins dyed from my apple tree (leaves, bark and ‘core and skin’), there are 15 dyed skeins in all, using Jamieson and Smith jumper weight yarn. (These can be seen in blog post 16 Sept 2016.) This summer I had set up a collection of Jamieson and Smith cobweb yarn skeins, dyed for a month in the greenhouse by solar dyeing. I had selected plants that I thought would dye yellow. In all I had the initial  yarn and 15 coloured balls from this. I did these to make bookmarks but now I have them arranged in a box I am enjoying seeing them as they are. I spent the day labelling these so it was clear which plant had given which colour.

    

Notes

1. Try and make time to look at this post about the work of these 4 artists. Link to this.
2. Well worth a look, but do check opening times 
3. Pre Covid I have been able to do some workshops with the ladies and we have enjoyed some natural dyeing ‘en mass’. That has been great as I have learned so much about spinning and knitting  lace from these ladies it has been a treat to organise some natural dyeing for them.