10 Days of absolute joy, there's nowhere quite like Shetland. I touched down at Sumburgh on Friday afternoon and headed straight over to the Jamieson's factory at Sandness, I had missed their tweed last year, so I was on a mission.
Saturday was lunch at Shetland Museum with an American friend I'd made on a ferry to one of the smaller islands the year before. Over to visit the genius that is Nielanell in Hoswick. Dinner with a German friend I'd made at Edinburgh Yarn Festival earlier this year. Shetland is all about the people for me, the ones that are resident and the ones that pass through.
Sunday was a full day of Knitting Traditions in Sweden with Karin Kahnlund, brilliant, an excellent teacher, you'll also find her designs on Ravelry. In the evening I attended the Opening Ceremony where I caught up with plenty of old friends.
Monday was a 'Picture Perfect' lecture in the museum and then over to the Ollaberry Hall Happening. I went last year and many haps have been knit and knitters enthused since then. Monday evening was a talk from Gudrun Johnston, 'The Shetland Trader'.
Tuesday was a full day of enamelling with the very talented Shetlander, Helen Robertson. I made a shawl pin, trinket box, big buttons, small buttons and stitch markers and learned a lot. A quick visit to the chippy and off to Hoswick for a class with the very talented Hadewych van der Werf from Holland, 'Mother Astrop', a completely new knitting technique that I will be returning to.
Wednesday was a drop spindle class, although I can spin I've got absolutely no idea with a drop spindle, but I have now. The evenings entertainment was, 'In Conversation with Di Gilpin and Marie Wallin'.
Thursday was a full on all day class with Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell, 'Design your own garment'. I learned a tremendous amount and it was a great class, I may also have purchased the pattern and yarn for Di's Arabesque with amazingly fitted everyone in the class and looked good, watch this space. The evening was spent with the lovely 'Ladies from Thingborg', an inspirational and entertaining bunch.
At some point I had my first ever mussels at Fjara, they always look to messy for me but my German friends showed me how to eat them with a shell as tool and I am hooked.
Friday was a talk at the museum, 'The Warp Weighted Loom' and a bit of shopping.
I ran every other day with spectacular scenery of course
and a fair amount of wind, it's a lot easier to run with it behind you!
A talk from Oliver Henry at J&S on wool grading, again, I learned a lot.
My view at breakfast. Saturday was the makers market which was absolutely packed, I was in and out ninja style for my purchases. I then spent some time at the Textile Museum at the Bod of Gremista and talked with the spinners there, one of whom I'd met in a pub knit night some years earlier - is a small world. The afternoon was a leisurely knit in the hub where I found a friend I'd gone to Fair Isle with the previous year and a Swedish lady with fantastic knits and I dragged them along with my American friend and Shetland friend to see Judy Dench in Victoria & Abdul, followed by a very good lobster.
Sunday morning was spent in Hoswick, 'Sharing Sherry, Cheese & Shortbread: Playtime', a lot of fun and chat and again, learning. Then on to the Sunday tea at Tingwall run by the Shetland Guild of Spinners Weavers and Dyers, with the magically replenishing cups and catching up with good friends. The evening was spent learning Shetland cooking customs over a chicken dinner with a friend and her lovely family in Brae. Needless to say I was stuffed at the end of the day.
On my final day, the Monday after the official close of Wool Week I took a class at Red Houss with Mike and made myself a peerie jumper.
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