I bought some 2-ply jumper weight yarn from West Lynne Wool - from the Tait family’s sheep, some Shetlands but also crosses with Cheviot and Llyen. I started making Gudrun Johnston’s Riggies Cowl (free pattern). It’s almost done, needs blocking and then seaming up the back.

https://ravel.me/riggies-cowl

https://www.paparwark.co.uk/west-lynne-wool/

#knitting #TextileArts #spinning #yarn #shetland (2/?)

Donna Smith talked to us about dyeing yarn with natural dyes, and I bought 3 skeins - 2 in DK weight for a hat (undyed) and a cowl (naturally dyed from color from the lac scale insect), and one in a beautiful indigo lace weight for a lace shawl. I don’t knit much lace but I felt so inspired by the yarn itself.

https://donnasmithdesigns.co.uk

#knitting #TextileArts #yarn #shetland (3/?)

Ronnie of Uradale Farms showed us his sheep and fleece and talked about how the colored sheep are used to produce different colors of yarn and then how dyeing them creates a range - such as oranges from lighter to darker. Uradale has all native Shetland sheep which made the yarn even more appealing and unique. I bought the yarn for these Croft mittens. I’ve cast them on already but I’ll probably start over using flexiflips

https://www.uradale.com

#knitting #TextileArts #yarn #shetland (4/?)

We went to Jamieson & Smith Wool Brokers. I didn’t buy any regular J&S. I did buy undyed fiber to spin. And I flipped through a book of patterns for tweed yarn and found a sweater I liked. And discovered this yarn is not easily available in the US - Croft Aran Tweed from West Yorkshire Spinners. I have 8 hanks. I’m excited to cast on to see how it knits up and also because the gauge means it should be a fast knit.

https://ravel.me/imogen-sweater-2

#knitting #textilearts #yarn #spinning #Shetland (5/?)

Spinning fiber and spindles: here is a drop spindle from a class we took at Eldamato from DJ, an amazing woman who emigrated to Shetland from America and opened this shop. She also gave us little samples of local Shetland fiber and other breeds (merino, and an amazing cashmere/silk blend). The braid is Shetland Wool hand-dyed in Shetland. I have no actual plans for this other than enjoying spinning it.

https://www.instagram.com/myeldamato?igsh=bmc0NGhjbmZnbnc1

#shetland #FiberArts #textileArts #spinning #knitting

(6/?)

This is a repost of an earlier pic to focus on the spindles instead of the fiber. The left supported spindle is made of Indian rosewood and sycamore. The right Turkish spindle is black alder with a walnut shaft made by a local Shetlander who recently moved away. Both were bought at Eldamato. The center drop spindle has a whorl made of stone local to Unst - Serpentine - and was purchased at the town community center.

#shetland #fiberArts #textileArts #spinning #knitting

(7/?)