Shetland Wool Week – Memories

Today I landed in Shetland all ready for Shetland Wool Week 2013 starting on Monday!

This time last year I had my first experience of Shetland Wool Week, managing to pack an amazing amount into four days.  On the first day I was given the honour of modelling Kate Davies’ Shetland workshop project, the Sixareen Kep.  Not someone who naturally likes being the centre of attention, I found it very strange having so many knitting ladies all wanting to take photos of me, asking me to pose in various ways.  Still, I think I was the lucky one as the hat was really warm and cosy, just perfect to keep out the bitter wind coming off the water.

 

Jamieson & Smith (J&S) turned out to be my second home during the week as I think it did for quite a few of us!

The unassuming frontage of J & S just did not prepare me for the explosion of colour & amount of neatly stacked yarn waiting inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandra and Ella were the stalwarts of the week, always greeting us with a smile, taking time out to chat, helping out with yarn choices, and of course wrapping up parcels to send our purchases home.  Somehow I think I made a visit to J & S everyday with a noticeable newly acquired yarn stash and book collection to show for it!  So hard to resist!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether it was morning, afternoon or evening I seem to find something to attend; workshops in Fair Isle, lace knitting, hand dying and knitting as a career as well as cafes, get togethers, book launches, lectures, J & S and the Shetland Museum.  The buzz around the town was infectious and I was never far from a knitter to have a chat with.  Many had travelled from afar, places such as Norway, Alaska, Holland, Brazil, Italy and Canada.  The depth and breath of knitting knowledge was vast and eagerly and generously shared.  I even ended up on BBC 4’s The Fabric of Britain – Knitting’s Golden Age, looking extremely serious about my knitting!

Landing at Sumburgh today brought back amazing memories from my first time at Shetland Wool Week.  No doubt many more fabulous memories will be formed over the next week – can’t wait!

Bye for now . . .