Sunday 13 July 2014

Fair Isle Allovers

I thought it might be time to catch up on some handspun garments instead of the vararfeldur. The real work has still been going on as well as the weaving! Two Allovers (Fair Isle jumpers) have been finished recently.

This one, a slipover, in the Mousa design but with madder red and onion yellow in the ribs and a small amount through the Fair Isle. It is a good design just in the black and greys, but with the red and yellow it is that little bit extra special.

Mousa design Slipover ready to be packaged and posted


The next Allover is washed and on the jumper board drying, and will be off to its owner tomorrow. Black and greys again, this one is Neesik - Shetland name for the Porpoise.


A perfect day for drying jumper outside.

And another good use for a jumper board.....


.......3 shades of fawn handspun yarns needed for commissions, and for stock. The jumper board is perfect to hang hanks and tension then while they are drying.

Here are a selection of other designs from Shetland Handspun.

Shetland Handspun
Selkie 





Shetland Handspun
Tammie Norrie
















Shetland Handspun
Trowie Sweater





Shetland Handspun
Trowie design in Blues













Shetland Handspun
Bonxie 



Shetland Handspun
Njuggle Waistcoat









Shetland Handspun Neesik Fair Isle Allover


Wednesday 9 July 2014

My Shetland Vararfeldur - Week 3

I am back on track - half done.

Change of colour - this is mainly from a light grey fleece.





Thanks to a full day with myself and Mary both working the second 50 cm is complete. 


For comparison - this is the first part, much darker.




























I worked on preparing the fleece, and Mary did the weaving. She had never worked on this loom before, but she did very well. I wondered if I would keep her supplied with fleece - it does take time as we had found out while working on the previous vararfeldurs - but I did, just!

Mary needed her photo taken with her achievement.
The last 2/3rds of the weaving is her work - well done.



























Before we finished, we wound the weaving up on the top of the loom. My next job would be to move all those stones down below the shed bar before starting to weave on my own again.














Mary had a couple of photos of the rams that we rooed, and some of the the ewes with their lambs.


Looking good, but staying well away from humans.....just in case.....
They did not want any more funny stuff from us, - had enough of rooing, drenching and trimming feet.

Some of the ewes coming to see what was going on.
Beautiful view over the loch to the cliffs and the sea in the background.