BIRSIE BEANNY
Here we are again, with another SWW getting underway with another Wool Week Hat and the 2026 Patron announced - Helen Robertson and her Birsie Beanny.
I did not think I would have yarn to put kits together this year. My stock was low as I have spent more time over winter working on SOK: Shetlands Organisation for Knitters. Spinning took 2nd place, but SOK has been such a success, and it has only been 7 months since it was launched. And the support from Shetland and Shetland knitters as well as knitters round the world has been fantastic. If you hadn't heard of SOK, search for SOK Shetland on FB, IG or on the web.
After the launch I needed to knit a hat for myself, and not even thinking about a kit I set about choosing my yarn - from my handspun, of course. Well, I found I did have yarn for a kit and quite a few. It would however leave me with almost no yarn, and this is right at the beginning of the season. There was a decision to be made. But how could I not do a kit if I had enough yarn.
A different set of colours than I have done in an SWW hat before, which is good.
All natural colours with 1 yellow from onion skins. Both yellow and Moorit, not colours I tend to use often, but that was what I had. I was part way through spinning a batch of silver grey which had to be spun, but it was all ready to spin.
.... and the result was .....
..... a beautiful hat in stunning colours (although I say it myself) ..... but most of all a stunning design by Helen. She drew some of her design from Shetland Lace patterns and I must say it felt as if I was knitting a lace pattern in parts, only with 2 colours instead of holes! Extraordinary!
Then comes the crown, just beautiful, and that too felt as if I was knitting the Lace tree of life. Then that star fish on top.
Congratulations Helen, for such a stunning design.
Now the details for a kit in my yarn.
A few have gone already. Some of you emailed me early, before the hat and Patron was launched, to ask if I would have a kit. I contacted those people first and now I can offer the remainder of the kits.
The cost Is £100 for the yarn. The pattern is available on line, but I can send a printed pattern if you would like one which is £5 extra. Postage is charged at cost.
Send me an email if you would like one, to shetlandhandspun@btinternet.com and put SWW 2026 in the subject line.
I take payment with PayPal.
Tell me which country I will be shipping your kit,
confirm your email address connected to PayPal,
your shipping address if you dont use Paypal (PayPal will still work through an email without using PayPal)
and your phone number (the shipping company can contact you if there is a problem)
I will send a PayPal invoice when your kit is ready to ship.
Now I am off to spin more yarn!!!
