Shetland Wool Week Hat 2026

 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!!!

 

SHETLAND WOOL WEEK HAT 2025

 THE AAL OWER TOORIE

What a wonderful name for this years Wool Week hat, from this years Patron - The Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers and Dyers, designed by Guild member, Hunter Rachel. And what a beautiful design, perfect for its name, with pattern in every row.

I had a quantity of my handspun yarn in natural colours so thought I might be able to put a kit together. It would have to be in natural colours. I had 2 light greys and white, and moorit, and, surprisingly I was working on a true black fleece. I started knitting, testing the shades of the colours and the length of yarn needed in each colour. It was good till I came to the moorit - it was too dark and made the toorie look very dull. I did however have a hank of a heather mix yarn, so I tried that  - perfect. 

I had my colours.

So, on to finish spinning the black yarn.

At the same time I had to decide on the length of yarn needed in each colour and see how many kits I could put together.

I had more than enough of the white and grey yarns, but not so much of the heather mix. Also I didn't exactly know how much of the black yarn I would get from the fleece. I cant exactly go out and buy more yarn, and true black fleece is hard to find!

With the black spinning done, the hank size decided, wound, washed and dried, and labeled. There was only the other 4 colours to wind in the hank sizes needed, and labelled. 

Well not quite - 

find the packaging

put the kits together

figure the postage 

and write the blog and link to IG and FB to tell you all the kits are ready.

Oh and it is a limited number of kits - 18 in total.

...and isn't that crown beautiful.

Well done Rachel.

If you would like a kit in my yarn, send me an email to: shetlandhandspun@btinternet.com 

put '2025 Toorie' in the subject line and say which country you live in so that I can tell you the shipping charge.

SHETLAND WOOL WEEK HAT 2023

 It is that time of year again. Time for the 2023 Patron to be announced and Shetland Wool Week hat to be launched.

The Patron is Alison Rendall, a perfect choice, and her hat is called Buggiflooer Beanie, the Shetland name for the flower, the Sea Campion. In her pattern there are colourways from 5 Shetland wool producers. Yarns from Jamieson's of Shetland, Uradale and Jamieson & Smith have colourways using 6 colours, and Laxdale Yarn and Aister Oo colourways using 2 colours.

There was a launch at the Shetland Museum on Friday night with Linda Shearer, last years Patron, handing over to Alison. Such a good evening meeting up and talking to folk. Then home to plan for a kit in a colourway in my handspun yarn over the weekend. 

It is knitted and dressed, on a fawn background, and using 5 colours in the pattern.

The pattern colours are:

Light Moorit, Dark Moorit, Shetland Black, a natural Madder dyed shade, and for the centre rows of the flooers there is a very dark Madder dyed shade.

That red in the centre rows is hard to get in a photo, but really adds something to the look of the hat.

I have 3 of the colours already spun, but need to spin the other 3 colours.  

Fleece from my stash has been sampled and is ready to start the carding and spinning process.

So my plan is ready to produce kits, in a limited number.  

... and the last photo of a stunning crown. I love the flower, simply done following Alison's design, with one half in the light moorit and the other half in Shetland black. 

If you would like a kit in my yarn, send me an email,  shetlandhandspun@btinternet.com 

Kits should be ready in about 3 weeks, the cost is £65 plus postage.  

Postage now varies outside the UK. I send the kits tracked and charge the cost price.

Email me - shetlandhandspun@btinternet.com -to book a kit.

Shetland Wool Week 2022 - Bonnie Isle Hat Kits

 Bonnie Isle Hat Kits

The 2020 Patron and Shetland Wool Week Hat were both announced on the 9th of June. The launch was in Shetland for the first time at the Shetland Museum. We were a smallish group but enough to have a good photo with a range of previous Wool Week Hats. 

My handspun yarn as not included in the pattern, but 2 of our new Shetland Wool Producers were included: Aister 'oo' and Laxdale Yarn. Both have beautiful yarn and some beautiful colours to choose from.

Since the launch I have been busy and I have put together a colourway in my yarn which is now available in a kit.

The kit price, in my handspun yarn, is £63 

plus postage, of £4 to the UK, and from £10 to £14 elsewhere.

Postage now varies outside the UK. I send the kits tracked and charge the cost price.

Email me - shetlandhandspun@btinternet.com -to buy a kit.

I have used 3 natural colours and 2 natural dyed colours.

The 2 light colours are silver grey and natural white. The 3 dark colours are Shetland black, Aubergine (dyed with cochineal) and Dark Blue (dyed with Logwood).

As usual I will have a limited number of kits available. For the Bonnie Isle Hat I will have 24 kits. To order Email me - shetlandhandspun@btinternet.com

I do have some kits ready now, but there is still some spinning to do - I have a little of the black and the silver still to spin. I plan to have that spinning done by 22nd of July.

The first batch of kits can be shipped from 28th of June, and the remainder can be shipped from 25th of July.

I have a delay in shipping the first batch as I am on route to Norway to teach a spinning class at Osteroy Museum, so if I dont answer an email over the next few days, I am just having too much fun with the class at the museum.

PATTERNS: LUNKLET LACE JACKET and LUNKLET SHAWL

The patterns for the Lunklet Lace Jacket and the Lunklet Shawl are both now on Ravelry.

I have sold both of these patterns from my studio and at shows, but with lockdown, the time came to put them on Ravelry. I had thought that it would be a challenge to re-format the charts for Ravelry. It actually worked out fine. 

The Jacket has been knitted many times. It looks difficult but it is much easier than it look to knit.

Included in the pattern are tips on knitting the jacket. Also tips for the Frost Flower pattern (motif), an impressive pattern made up of 2 very simple elements and quite simple to knit when it is broken down to its individual parts.

A Lace Jacket is not for everyone so I made a shawl to match the Jacket. I think I almost like the shawl more than the Jacket.

The Jacket in the photo is knitted in my handspun lace yarn. The layers are spun from natural coloured  Shetland fleece. The yarn in the sleeves and the top of the jacket are a tussah silk single plyed with a Shetland wool single. 

The shawl is knitted with Jamiesons of Shetland Ultra, their lace weight  yarn.

KITS and PATTERNS

For Shetland Wool Week Makers Market

        I have a limited number of Da Crofters Kep Kits,

            in my handspun yarn,

                prepared especially for SWW.

The kit price, in my handspun yarn, is £60 

plus postage, 

£4 to the UK, £10 to the EU, and £14 elsewhere.

Email me - shetlandhandspun@btinternet.com -to buy a kit.

 KITS ARE SOLD OUT

Also, posting on Ravelry,

My series of NJUGGLE accessories patterns

Toorie Version 1

                      

                     

Toorie Version 2

A Square Hat

The mitts, or Dags as we call them in Shetland.
2 which match the Toories,
1 with a long 2-coloured rib,
and a long pair.

... and then a cushion.

All are knitted in natural Shetland colours, with yarn from Jamieson & Smith. I do occasionally have kits made up with my handspun yarn.

The motifs are all similar to those found in antiquity, some from ancient Greece, especially the Greek key and the small flower. Hearts and crosses are both very old, and because of the association with the sea, an anchor and a chain is included.

The design is named Njuggle after a mythical Shetland horse which was purported to live in streams and the sea.

The Njuggle collection includes:

Dags version 1 & 2, Toorie Hats version 1 & 2, Rib Dags, Long Dags, a Square Hat and a Cushion.

Search for SHETLAND HANDSPUN on Ravelry to find all the patterns.

I hope you have all enjoyed the Virtual Shetland Wool Week.

Da Crofters Kep - SWW 2021

 Wow, its July already, what happened!  This year is going by fast! It doesnt seem very long since the 2021 Crofters Kep was launched, and that was back in April.

Wilma did her usual and created a beautiful hat pattern in 5 different yarns each in a different colourway, and she used my handspun yarn for one again. I was honoured. But that also meant that I had to spin and dye the yarn for kits. 

I decided to set the number of kits to 50, and should have put that information out, but before that happened the enquiries came in fast and they were booked up in a few days. I am only getting back to doing a blog now!!!

My appologies to those of you who have missed out on my handspun yarns for this years kep. I just could not fit in any more time to spin for the hat this year. 

Wilma and I did look at alternative yarns to substitute for my handspun yarn and these are detailed below. 

I loved the colours Wilma chose from my yarns. They reminded me of colour combinations we used to work with when I was young, so really an old type of colourway, but still looks good today.

This Crofters Kep is for me, knitted in the colours Wilma chose.

I have included 2 photos. A front view and a view of the crown.

I usually name the yarns by their natural colours and by the natural dyes I have used on them. For this pattern I decided to give the yarns 'names'. So the background colours I named those Silver and Cloud, 2 narural greys. The 4 pattern colours were all dyed. Rouge was dyed with cochineal and onion. Wine was dyed first with a little onion then with cochineal, Maroon was dyed with cochineal then overdyed with logwood. The last colour, a dark blue, Midnight, was dyed in logwood.

I did love Wilma's choice of colours, but I thought I wanted a Crofters Kep on a dark background. I thought I would see if I could just take the colours and rearrange them to knit a kep that was more ME - and by ME I really mean more blue.

Here is the result. It is definitely more blue. 

The blue background is a darker blue more of a blue/black, still dyed in logwood. The second background is a pale blue from an exhaust logwood bath.

The other colours were Rouge, Wine and Madder but as I had used a colour almost the same as Midnight for the background, I used a colour similar to Wine as a substitute but a shade or 2 lighter.

The result was dark but it works - just, and is very ME.

  

Substitute colours for my handspun yarn colours from Jamiesons of Shetland:

Colour A - 105 Eesit
Colour B - 526 Spice
Colour C - 293 Port Wine
Colour D - 187 Sunrise
Colour E - 343 Ivory
Colour F - 150 Atlantic

 

Yarn Kits - Mirknen Dags and Leg Warmers

Here are my Mirknen Dags and Leg Warmers, the pattern is in the 2020 Shetland Wool week Annual. The yarns suggested are Jamieson & Smith jumper weight yarn and Jamiesons of Shetland's Spindrift, and ..... 

my Handspun yarn is available in a kit. 

1 kit will knit the medium sized dags, 

2 kits will kit the small dags and the small legwarmers. 

 

Kits have either more of the dark background ..... and will knit up as in this photo of the medium dags .......

OR ............

more of the light background to knit up ..... as in this photo of the medium dags.

Only 50 kits will be made available - 25 with more of the dark background colour and 25 with more of the light background colour.

Price - £55 + shipping, payment by PayPal or online banking.

To book a kit - email me at  shetlandhandspun@btinternet.com                                 Title your email MIRKNEN KIT.                                                                   Say if you want more of the dark background colour or more of the light background colour.

Include your shipping address and your preferred method of payment.

Kits will be shipped out from the 5th of October.

Medium dag in my handspun yarns

 

leg warmers, large dags, and small dags
in Jamiesons of Shetland's Spindrift colours

leg warmers, large dags, and small dags 
in Jamieson & Smith colours

Shetland Wool Week 2020 kit

Here it is ...... my kit for the 2020 Shetland Wool Week Hat. Handspun yarn in natural and natural dyed colours.

The pattern is free for a year and it can be downloaded from 

Shetland Wool Week Webpage.

Send me an email to order my yarn kit. 

Spaces have opened up in 2 of my classes SWW 2019

Niela and I have done a little re-arranging at Hoswick Visitor Centre and there are now a few more spaces available in 2 of my classes on Friday 4th October. The classes are......

Up Your Game - Improvers Spinning  

A class for anyone wishing to improve any part of the spinning process, perfect a yarn, improve their knowledge and ability, need any spinning query answered.

Four Fingers and a Thumb

Whether you are knitting a pair of these double fingered gloves or not, the secret to working good fingers is in how well each finger is started - picking up those sts to start your fingers. And then thumbs - without pulled sts and holes you dont want at the corners.

This class will help you to perfect you fingers and eliminate any problems.

WORKSHOPS WITH ELIZABETH and HADEWYCH

Myself and Hadewych van der Werf are hosting classes with a difference during the week before Shetland Wool Week. 

Hadewych has been a tutor with Hoswick Wool Week for a few years, teaching classes on Norwegian stranded knitting, double knitting, Estonian borders and Mother Astrop knitting techniques. Her classes are always popular, selling out quickly and this year is no different. Her classes are all sold our already.











I have done this class before wool week for the last 2 years with a small group. With classes each morning, students have time for some sightseeing and time for homework each day. 

The dates and times for the classes are:

with myself: 
Sunday 22nd, Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th September, 9.30 to 12.30 daily.

with Hadewych:
Wednesday 25th, Thursday 26th and Friday 27th September, 9.30 to 12.30 daily.

The techniques covered in each class will be student led. So you can choose what you wish to work on. Cover several subjects throughout the class or focus on one subject only. 

I will cover any spinning, Fair Isle and Lace subjects.




Hadewych can cover a variety of subjects. Some subject she has suggested are: 

• variation in Double knitting;  
• designing your own double marl triangle scarf;
• decorative edging to steeks and the edges of your work;
• sewing zips and hooks & eye's in knitwear;

...... and you can also learn from Hadewych's expert colour knowledge at the same time.

Venue is Hoswick Visitor Centre

Cost is £120 for each 3 day class.

To book or for more information email me, Elizabeth at shetlandhandspun@btinternet.com

Back home and spinning again

I am back home after a wonderful trip to the US. My travels included - Interweave Knit Fest in Loveland, Colorado; John C Campbell Folk School, NC; Maryland Sheep & Wool; a visit with Judith MacKenzie; visits to guilds in Denver and Boulder, CO; and Shuttles, Spindles and Skiens, Boulder, CO; and lastly the Marshfield School of Weaving, Vermont.

I was travelling with my friend Martha Owen and we had such a great trip, meeting lots of old friends and making new ones, and visiting parts of the US that at least I had not been before.

But now I am back home and back to much needed spinning. My stock of yarn was very low after Edinburgh Yarn Fest so now it is back to the grind stone for me.

I have spun some since I got back....

.... and there is more fleece waiting to be processed.

But here are a few photos of my adventures ... well, a lot actually.

Bella, hanging out in the shade in North Carolina

Class at John C Campbell Folk School

Some of the results of the FI class at John C Campbell Folk School

Sheep waiting to be sheared and all the lambs taking a rest.

Martha taking a rest before starting shearing

watching the shearer

Natural dyed colours ready for carding and blending
at Maryland Sheep & Wool spinning class

Everyone working hard in the Fair Isle class at Maryland Sheep & Wool

A busy John C Campbell Folk School stand

Beautiful blues on the Pacific coast

The Rockies - just like the movies!

The natural dye class
at Shuttles, Spindles & Skeins
in Boulder.

The results from the dye class 
.....  all ready for blending and carding

..... and the rolags ready for spinning

leaving Boulder,  heading south to Santa Fe
the plateau goes on forever!

stunning mountains, and yes, there was hail in those clouds

and that stunning landscape just goes on and on.

Santa Fe, and I did buy jewellery.

Stunning views on the drive up to Mesa Verde

Cliff house at Mesa Verde - absolutely stunning.

The Grand Canyon

..... an incredible place

... atmospheric as the sun starts to set

... changing colours as the sun sinks in the west.

Stunning results from the dye class at the Marshfield School of Weaving

We took the carding outside in beautiful Vermont sunshine,
 - but we did stay in the shade.

The last class. Great results in the samples with the first colour choices,
but with a few changes the next knitted samples were even better.
Very proud of everyone in this class.


Then Martha and I headed back to the airport to get our separate planes home
- me to Shetland and Martha to North Carolina.

Till next time.