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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
  • Knit a Jumper with Shetland Style
  • Hold onto Summer with the Hipster Top Knitting Pattern
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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?

Fun Tank Top Knitting Patterns

It seems like every summer there’s a new crop of tank top knitting patterns, and what I noticed about a lot of the new releases this year is that they have fun little details that make them a little more interesting both to knit and to wear. 

Like the Sailoress Top from Joji Locatelli, which has a pretty cable worked up the center from and back, with shorter sections of cable work on the shoulders. It uses DK weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes up to a bust circumference of 72 inches/ 158 cm. You can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

Combine lace and cables in an allover pattern on the Mountain Laurel Top from Andrea Gaughan. This sport weight pattern is worked from the bottom up in the count and has 10 sizes. It’s available on Ravelry.

The Vienna Textured Tank Top by Sarah Hatton has wide ribs broken up by eyelets. There’s very little shaping so it’s a pretty easy knit worked in fingering weight yarn. There are nine sizes available and it’s a free download on Ravelry.

Make a tank with a boho vibe perfect for festival season with Mary Beth Temple’s Tropical Sunset Tank Top. Worked in worsted weight cotton yarn, it’s knit from the bottom up in pieces to make it more stable. The coloring changing yarn is perfect for this one, or you can make it solid or work in your own stripes. You can get the XS size free on her blog, and other sizes are available on Ravelry.

Looking for a cropped lacy V-neck top to knit for summer? Jessie Maed Designs has the Sundae Swirl Tank, worked in DK weight yarn in the round with a fun combination of lace and cables. The ribbing under the arms helps give it a great fit. There are six sizes up to a chest measurement of 62 inches/157.5 cm. You can find this one on Ravelry.

How about a tank top with buttons? The Ridge Tank Button Down from Bluebird Pine Shop could double as a vest in cooler weather. This one is made with light fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Grab a copy on Ravelry.

An otherwise simple top can be made a little more interesting with the addition of a fun edging, like on Sarah Opie’s Seashell Tank. Worked in fingering weight yarn, it has a whopping 24 sizes and lots of customization options for making it fit the way you want. The edging is crocheted. Learn more on Ravelry.

7 Tank Top Knitting Patterns

A Great Simple Tank Top Knitting Pattern

A Great Tank Top Knitting Pattern for Summer

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