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Knitting Traditions Hold Strong on the Shetland Islands

December 2, 2014 by Sarah White

NPR story features Shetland Island knitters.A story about knitting in the Shetland Islands from NPR’s Weekend Edition popped into my Facebook feed over the weekend. It looks like the story originally aired in July (and that story has lovely pictures to go with it) but I never wrote about it so here it is now.

Some things in the Shetland Islands are changing because of the oil wealth in the area, but local knitters — who knit because it is a way of life passed down through the generations — say their traditions aren’t going to change and the younger generation is still interested in knitting.

Ingrid Eunson spins the local fleece and knits sweaters in her home in Brae and says it’s staggering to think how much a sweater would cost if the producer were paid a fair wage.

“And I’ve thought about how much it would cost at minimum wage,” she told NPR’s Ari Shapiro. “Nobody would afford more than one jumper in their lives if they paid according to the hours that went in.”

But as another local knitter, Wilma Johnson, says, “I just knit because it’s like breathing. I can’t do without it.” She learned when she was three.

This is a great story that really takes you to the islands and should make you proud to be a knitter.

 

Next Pattern:

  • Knitting Pattern - Vintage Shetland Shawl
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Comments

  1. Angie says

    December 2, 2014 at 10:27 am

    How did I miss this story?? Off to check it out now….thank you for sharing!

Have you read?

Textured Baby Blanket Knitting Patterns

There are so many baby blanket knitting patterns out there I could probably do a post a month full of them and not run out for a very long time. This time I thought I’d look specifically at single color baby blankets that are interesting because of the inclusion of textured stitching. This makes them easy enough for new knitters but engaging for knitters of all skill levels. 

Take the Textured Checks Baby Blanket from Janet Dubbelman for example. This project is mostly stockinette stitch, with some what looks like reverse stockinette and garter stitch thrown in to make the ridges. You can use whatever yarn weight you like to make blankets of different sizes. Find the pattern on Ravelry. 

The Seedling from Modern Made Shop is just about as easy as it comes, combining seed stitch with a garter stitch border. It calls for worsted weight yarn and is perfect for beginners. 

The Julie Baby Blanket by Elisabeth Kristiansen is another one with an easy allover stitch pattern that you can knit up in a flash in whatever size you want. (The pattern notes say any gauge but it also says 28 stitches per 4 inches, which would be a superfine or fine weight yarn. Learn more on Ravelry. 

The Oscar Baby Blanket from Snufflebean is another one with an easy repeating stitch pattern that has a really fun, graphic effect. This is also great worked in a bright color, reminding us that babies don’t have to be in pastels! This one uses DK weight yarn. 

If you want to get a little fancier, check out Sammy Bristow’s Georges Blanket. This one alternates blocks of stockinette stitch with boats and anchors made by purling on the right side of the blanket. It calls for DK weight yarn and has multiple sizes for dolls through toddlers. Check it out on Ravelry.

Another cute texture is this heart blanket with diamonds that are a little reminiscent of argyle. Yarn Sonata Patterns has this one, which is worked in DK weight yarn and comes in four sizes. It includes a chart and row by row instructions. 

Or try the pretty Seton Portage baby blanket from Knitted Wishes, which has a border of trees and textured stitches that look like snow falling. The pattern includes different options for snowflakes and doing a mirror image of the trees on each end of the blanket. It’s worked in worsted weight yarn. This one includes charts, written instructions and video tutorials for special stitches.

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