Scotland Journey Part 4: Jamieson + Smith and Shetland Ponies!

Part 4 of our Scotland journey finds us still on the Shetland islands soaking up more wool culture. Today we visited Jamieson and Smith! Jamieson and Smith is the other producer of Shetland yarn on Shetland. Jamieson and Smith has a facility in Lerwick (Shetland's largest town and port) where they sort all the wool that they purchase from local farmers.

Oliver explains how to feel the quality of a fleece

Oliver Henry has been sorting Shetland wool for Jamieson and Smith for 46 years. He knows a lot about wool. Oliver took a couple of hours out of his day to give us a tour of their facility and talk to us about wool. Jamieson and Smith purchases over 80% of the Shetland wool grown on the island from over 700 crofters. They are very committed to working with the farmers and improving the quality of the wool. Oliver almost single-handedly sorts all this wool himself.

The Jamieson and Smith sorting facility in Lerwick

Each fleece has to be sorted by color, quality and type. Some of the Shetland sheep on the island have bred with non-Shetland sheep - Oliver keeps a catalog of lineage records so he knows which fleece are 100% Shetland - these are the only fleeces used to make the Jamieson and Smith Shetland yarns. Within each fleece there are different grades of wool and these must be sorted as well - the wool on the back of the sheep is a different quality than the wool around the legs so these all get seperated into different bins.

Above left: fleeces have been sorted by color
Above right: tons of wool fleeces await sorting
Lower photo: Oliver has trained a crofter to help him in the sorting room

Jamieson and Smith have developed other products to make sure that they are using all the wool. If a fleece is not suitable for their yarns they can find a home for it in other products they have developed, therefore they're able to pay the farmers more for their fleeces. In addition to their hand knitting yarns (which get only the finest grades of wool) they also have a company that produces wool carpets as well as another company that makes wool mattresses. These products are extremely sustainable and ensure that sheep crofters on Shetland can have a future with their wool. Imagine carpeting your home in 100% naturally colored Shetland wool! Amazing!

An old photo of women in Shetland blocking their lace Hap Shawls

Ysolda, Oliver, Malia, Stephen, Amber and Jaime in the Jamieson and Smith sorting room

Shetland sheep come in many different colors - which is amazing when you are on the island and see the landscape covered in dots of all colors - not just white dots! Shetland wool yarn comes in 9 undyed natural colors - each with adorable names like Mooskit, Moorit, Katmollet, Yuglet and Shaela. These names are still used today and are from old Norn origins.

A wall of undyed, naturally colored Shetland wool yarn in Jamieson and Smith

Attached to the sorting facility is the Jamieson and Smith yarn shop (also know as heaven to yarnies). We were able to shop to our hearts content all 84 dyed colors and 9 undyed colors of jumper weight yarn! Jumpers are sweaters and since fair isle sweaters are all knit out of fingering weight yarn, the weight is referred to as "Jumper weight" in Shetland.

Malia and Amber pick out colors of Shetland Jumper weight yarn

We picked out projects (some of us picked a few projects...) and left with a lot of yarn. There was even a wool bed in the Jamieson and Smith shop if you tire yourself out looking at all that yarn.

We took a nap on a wool bed in a yarn shop!

Black Shetland sheep frolic on a hillside in Shetland

There are a lot of sheep on Shetland - they were everywhere as we drove around and explored the island. In addition to Shetland sheep though, there are also Shetland ponies.

Cuddling Shetland Ponies - a necessary stop

We made sure to stop and take some time to cuddle and gaze at these most adorable of all ponies!

Next up: Shetland museums - Fair Isle and lace knitting galore!

Scotland Journey Part 3: Jamieson's of Shetland, Beach Knitting + Shetland Sheep!

Next in Shetland, we trekked west to visit the Jamieson's of Shetland mill. Shetland is home to two producers of Shetland yarn: Jamieson's, and Jamieson + Smith (not confusing at all). Jamieson's is located in Sandness on Shetland's west coast. Jamieson's is a family owned mill that produces Shetland wool yarn as well as manufactures garments - all of this is done in their facility in Sandness which is open to the public. 

Ysolda looking cute in Jamieson cardigan on vest action

We had more fun trying on (and buying) knitwear. We also were able to shop for yarn! Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift is their fingering weight Shetland yarn and it comes in tons of great colors. Fair Isle colorwork demands having access to tons of colors (sometimes upwards of 10 colors will be used in one design) so both Shetland yarn companies cater to this type of knitting with extensive color palettes. They also sell their yarn in smaller put ups, because you usually just need a little of some colors, so this way you can use more colors in a project, without buying tons of yarn.

Malia and Amber in Christmas sweaters!

Malia is shopping for the perfect colors

Stephen is trying on more knitwear

After we tried on knitwear and purchased yarn, we toured the factory. All the Jamieson's yarn is made right there in Sandness. We were able to follow the yarn from fleecy fluff to finished product. On this particular day, a buttery yellow was in production.

On of the wool experts of Jamieson's shows us the milling process

Seeing the steps of milling wool into yarn was pretty amazing. Jamieson's also produces their own knitwear so we were able to see workers making garments on seaming machines from knit fabric that had been knit on knitting machines. Amazing!

After Jamieson's  we had to take a break for some beach knitting on the beautiful, rocky shores of Sandness. A lovely way to spend the afternoon on a rare sunny day in Shetland.

Beach knitting break on Sandness

Shetland is full of sheep. Throughout our time there, we were constantly surrounded by sheep. The sheep were in all the pastures, on the sides of the roads and sometimes in the roads.

Most of the sheep are Shetland sheep. Shetland sheep are a hardy, small breed of sheep who produce fine wool. All the yarns produced on Shetland are from these sheep. Shetland sheep come in 11 recognized colors ranging from white to grey to brown to black. Both yarn companies stock yarn in 9 un-dyed colors from the naturally colored sheep. We explored the island with sheep accompanying on all our adventures!

We traveled north, not really knowing where we were headed, and ended up at the epic cliffs of Eshaness.

Ysola, Malia, Amber and Jaime in Eshaness

Jaime and Amber at Eshaness

Ysolda on a cliff...she didn't fall.

One of the purposes of our trip was to photograph a new collection of patterns that Amber, Malia and Stephen designed for an upcoming collaboration. Ysolda did the photography in some beautiful spots on Shetland when the sun was going down. Stay tuned for the release of these awesome new patterns later this fall!

Ysolda, Jaime, Stephen with sheep

Ysolda fixes Stephen's hat during a photoshoot

Next up: Jamieson and Smith with Shetland ponies!

Scotland Journey Part 2: Shetland Designer + Puffins!

After a couple days in Edinburgh, we made the trek up to the Shetland Islands. Shetland can be reached by ferry or plane, we opted to take the 14 hour, overnight ferry ride from Aberdeen harbor. We arrived in Shetland early in the morning and were so excited to be there, we immediately hopped in our car and started driving. We didn't have a destination, but just wanted to get out onto the land and explore. We headed south from Lerwick (the main town) and it only took about 5 minutes before we saw a sign that said "Knitwear Designs" pointing to a small house. We couldn't resist--we turned the car around and drove in. It was early on a Sunday, so we didn't expect it to be open, but the owner just happened to be walking outside and let us in. Little did we know, we had arrived to the best and most amazing collection of Shetland knitwear of all time!

We lost Stephen.

Wilma Malcolmson is the proprietor and knitter extraordinaire behind Shetland Designer. She designs and knits sweaters (jumpers) cardigans, vests, hats, mittens, and scarves - all with beautiful fair isle designs. Most of these are knit on small machines in her studio, but some are still knit by hand. We lost our minds with happiness at all the beautiful handknits.

Wilma was kind enough to show us around in her studio which contained several knitting machines and lots of knit swatches of her designs. The knitting machines still take a lot of work to get set up with special pattern cards that Wilma designs herself. She even has a seaming machine to seam the sweaters together.

Scenes from Wilma's studio

Wilma's swatches using natural undyed colors. 

We spent quite a while there, taking in all of her amazing designs, trying on sweaters and mittens and buying lots of knitwear!

Beautiful stacks of berets and gloves

Happy knitters surrounded by knitting!

Wilma also demonstrated knitting on a knitting belt. A knitting belt is a very common way that Shetlanders knit fair isle. It is leather and has holes to insert your knitting needle into a padded part of the belt. The end of a very long (about 14") double point needle is inserted into the hole which stabilizes the needle so the knitter can knit very fast. Pieces are knit in the round on these on just 2 of the double point needles, with a 3rd used as a working needle. Wilma showed us how she uses it and we've never seen anyone knit so fast - and she was doing colorwork!! Ysolda picked up a knitting belt while on Shetland and gave it a try as well!

Wilma shows us her knitting belt

When we left Wilma, she told us we had to keep driving south to see puffins! Of course we went. We drove to the furthest southern tip of Shetland where there are high cliffs on the sea - home to thousands of nesting sea birds, including puffins! While we went to Shetland to soak up the knitting culture and love of wool, a lot of people make the trek there to watch rare birds which Shetland is also famous for.

After seeing Puffins and eating some delicious local seafood for lunch, we checked out a crofthouse. Shetland has a beautifully restored, 1850's crofthouse museum that shows what life would have been like for early families living on the island. Women and children would work the land, living in the crofthouse, while the husband was away fishing or whaling.

Even our lunch spot was decorated with fair isle knitting.

Restored 1850's crofthouse

Next up: we visit Jamieson mill, Sandness beach knitting and sheep!!

Scotland Journey Part 1: Ysolda's Edinburgh Studio

-jaime

Amber and I recently got back from our own self-guided fiber tour of Scotland! We have come back filled with amazing inspiration, stories, and new yarn acquisitions that we want to share with you all. We traveled with Scottish knitting designer, Ysolda Teague, designer Stephen West, and Malia Mather of Penelope Craft in Amsterdam to the Shetland islands, home of Fair Isle knitting, Shetland lace hap shawls and, of course, Shetland sheep. We then headed west to the mystical Isle of Skye with Stephen and our friend Katie for even more woolly adventures. Stay tuned to our blog for the next week to read all about our adventures in this magical land. Our travels started in the fine city of Edinburgh - home to Ysolda!

Ysolda picks out buttons for a new baby sweater design

Ysolda was kind enough to give us a tour of her studio in Edinburgh! Edinburgh is a beautiful historic city. While in Edinburgh, we were able to explore delicious local food, beautiful parks and historic landmarks. Ysolda's studio is located in a fun part of town full of local restaurants, boutiques, and coffeeshops - kind of like Broadway in Denver if it were on a narrow, cobble-stoned street.

Amber, Ysolda, and Jaime, just chillin' in Edinburgh

Ysolda's studio is small, but very functional and organized. There are computer stations for her and her assistants. An inspiration wall of swatches sits behind Ysolda's desk and her collection of Shetland wool yarn is displayed in colorful round bins on her wall.

Ysolda has everything she needs for designing patterns right at her fingertips. It was fun to see how she organizes her materials and tools. Drawers full of yarn ready to knit are labeled and organized by yarn company. Ysolda's bookshelf is filled with knitting books and stitch pattern references to answer any quandary or lend inspiration to a design.

Ysolda is hard at work designing!

There are labeled bins containing everything from buttons to ribbon to needles and notions. She also has color cards from every yarn company under the sun in well organized file folders so she can easily plan a design and order the perfect colors from any yarn line.

Ysolda is all about fit, so it is no surprise to see professional dress forms in her studio in various sizes. Her patterns reflect her commitment to helping people make garments that are flattering on a variety of body shapes and sizes. 

A Cria sweater is displayed on a dress form

The most amazing thing about Ysolda's studio is her secret garden - an adorable outdoor courtyard, perfect for sharing a cup of coffee from nearby Artisan Roast on a nice day! Thanks for the tour, Ysolda! 

Ysolda's adorably overgrown outdoor courtyard

On Monday read all about what happens when 5 knitters descend upon Shetland!

Lizzy House in the HOUSE!

Lizzy House workshops are coming up! Lizzy House is an amazing fabric designer and an awesome person. We first got to know Lizzy and take classes with her in 2011 when she came to town to teach at the Makerie. We are thrilled to announce that she is coming back to Denver to teach 2 in-depth workshops here at Fancy Tiger Crafts just for you!

Lizzy House: all around awesome peep

First up is Mini-Quilts on Saturday August 24th! Lizzy will help you design and execute a Mini-Quilt! These small quilts are beautiful works of art that could be displayed on your wall or tabletop. Using the quilt as art, Lizzy will help you develop and create tiny works using the principles and elements of design. Using intuition, and quilt math you will make a plan to make mini dreams come true. You will be dazzled and amazed by what you produce. 

On Sunday, August 25th, Lizzy is teaching block printing! In this class you will learn true printmaking techniques for successful block printing! The first half of the class will focus on proper carving techniques and skills. The second half you will learn how to print at home like a champion. You will gain the knowledge and skills to assess what's happening on your block and print. 

We went ahead and re-ordered a beautiful spectrum of Lizzy's popular Pearl Bracelets as well so those will be in stock when she is here! They are hard to resist and look great with almost anything.

We hope you can join us for superfuntimes with Lizzy House! Call us here at 303-733-3855 to reserve your space.

Lucky Cat Crafts: Rare & Unusual Fibers are here!

Handspinners, you won't believe your hands when you feel Lucky Cat Crafts' unusual and amazing fiber blends!

polworth/mugasilk  |  yak/angora  |  camel/mugasilk/yak  |  merino/mugasilk/yak |  merino/mulberrysilk/possum

Kim, the adorable lady behind Lucky Cat Crafts, has these fantastical fiber blends specially milled in small batches.

We love the warm smoky palette of colors she has created by blending unique undyed fibers in soft greys and browns.

Below is a handspun yarn made with Lucky Cat Yak/Angora, a blend of two downy fibers that are so fluffy soft and ethereal, it almost feels like you are touching sunshine.

Lucky Cat Crafts' fibers are a dream to work with! They are perfect for a special project and extra soft against sensitive skin. We hope you love them as much as we do!

Erikia's Skirt Spectacular!

Hello! Erikia here, you may know that I love simplistic sewing and making up my own stuff. Well, I've been busy this summer sewing up a ton of easy skirts. Here's a look at a few I've made:

This lovely voile skirt was whipped up during a Fancy Tiger Crafts employee sewing night. The very talented Miranda taught us how to make circle skirts without a pattern in 2 hours! I loved it!

I saw a skirt similar to this online and fell in love with it. To make mine, I sketched out the pattern before starting. I already had measurements for a basic a-line skirt that fit me, so all I needed to do was calculate the measurements for the interior angles. It may look complicate, but honestly it was pretty easy. Little things that helped make this project effortless was layering the jersey cutting the front and back at the same time, using a quilting ruler and rotary cutter to cut the pieces and stitching it together with exposed seams. The best thing about this skirt was I made it out of a remnant, so it was super affordable!

Here's another simple a-line skirt with a little detail added to dress it up. I made a ruffle with coordinating fabric and edged it with matching crocheted trim. Adding the trim was the hardest part. I pinned it on, machine stitched it in place, put some fray check on the edges and hand-stitched the ends together. It was definitely worth it though because the trim is so cute.

This skirt is a favorite of mine! I drafted the pattern from a skirt I bought years ago. Gathering each tier of the skirt was the hardest part, but it gives the skirt amazing texture! I used a twin needle and stitched the fabric down flat with raw edges exposed. In addition to the skirt, I also made my tank top. This was another super easy project. It's based on a basic tank top and I stitched it together with a serger and left all other edges raw. It felt a little plain when I was finished, so I added the ruffle along the neckline, which was a leftover scrap.

Happy sewing!
Erikia