The story of how Shetland wool became world famous

Shetland wool and textiles are famed around the world, an amazing fact when you consider the islands’ location and small size. But over hundreds of years, the combination of our sheep, their wool and Shetlanders’ skills and passion have created a strong and thriving textiles culture that continues to grow.

It’s perhaps because Shetland has a moderately chilly climate and a lot of sheep, that once knitting arrived it took hold. Located at 60º North, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the North Sea, Shetland has always been a crossing point for sea-travellers. In this way our textile cultures were exposed to influences from Scandinavia and many other countries.

Shetland sheep are a small, primitive breed that thrive in our wet and windy environment. Believed to be of Scandinavian origin the sheep were probably brought to Shetland by Viking settlers. The ewes are known for their mothering and for being relatively easy to look after, as they live long and happily in the hill munching on heather, grass, and seaweed if they get the chance.

The breed has also come to be known for their wool, and the surroundings here give the wool its special qualities not seen elsewhere.

Historically, there were two kinds of fleece from Shetland sheep; those with a soft ‘kindly’ fleece and another with a more primitive fleece with rougher outer guard hair. Over time these have come together, and you find elements of both kinds within the breed.

The wool at the neck can be especially fine and soft with rougher parts throughout. Despite some people finding Shetland Wool to be itchy it is considered a soft wool, and compared to other British wools it is very fine and with careful sorting and spinning depending on the intended finished use you can get a very soft yarn.

There are many more sheep in Shetland than people, native Shetland breed and cross as well as other breeds. Every summer the sheep are clipped and the wool either stays in Shetland to be spun at Jamieson’s or the majority goes to the mainland to be commission spun by various Shetland Wool companies like Jamieson & Smith, Uradale, Aister Oo, Laxdale Yarn and Langsoond to name a few.

The most common weight of yarn Shetland is known for is Jumper Weight, a 4ply/fingering weight that lends itself perfectly to Fair Isle knitting – it creates a fabric that is both warm but not too warm, something we need in our changeable weather!

The very fine yarns like 1 and 2ply lace are another popular weight, these are used to create the fine Shetland Lace, in things like ‘Wedding Ring Shawls’. These famed one-ply shawls are so fine they can fit through a wedding ring and can weigh as little as 80g.

As well as commercially spun yarn some is still hand spun, as in days gone by. Those who retain this skill can use the beautiful natural colours that can be found in Shetland sheep’s fleeces. Alongside white there are many other colours: fawn, moorit, Shetland black, dark grey and everything in between.

Shetlanders are perhaps best known for our knitting, in particular the fine Shetland lace and Fair Isle knitting. Although both styles are worked throughout the islands, lace is most well-known to come from Unst and Fair Isle, of course, from the island that gives it its name.

There are expert knitters all over Shetland from the top of Unst to the bottom of Fair Isle and all the islands in between, and the motifs, colours and skills have combined to give us the heritage we have today.

From the 16^th century and onward as a place with lots of wool and long nights around the fire the hand knitting industry became a thriving cottage industry to add to the Shetlanders jobs of crofting and fishing.

Life was hard, but people were able to help their household as well as clothe themselves by knitting with the wool of the native Shetland Sheep surrounding them. The well-known stranded patterns developed in Fair Isle became popular from the mid 1800s and despite romantic stories of Spanish shipwrecks it is believed that the Islanders recreated textiles brought back there and from then on developed their own motifs, often following geometrically balanced shapes and repeats which create pleasing to look at and to knit garments.

The bright colours were originally naturally dyed using things like madder and indigo and early Fair Isle knitting used the natural colours of the sheep along with yellow, red, and blue. In other parts of Shetland, elements of stranded knitting could be found but once the popularity of Fair Isle motifs took off it travelled to Mainland Shetland and the evolution continued.

In the case of lace, openwork knitting was very common in Shetland but around the same time as the colourful patterns were being developed in Fair Isle so was the fine lace in Unst. The properties of Shetland Wool that lend it to colour work also somehow lend it to lace – the wool can be spun extremely thin while also retaining a strength and a softness.

Beautiful large stoles and shawls were made by these talented knitters who created motifs inspired by their surroundings like “Print O’ the Wave”, and from lace knitting collected in Europe and brought back to Shetland.

By the early-20^th century the skills of of Shetland’s knitters were becoming more well-known and so began the export of knitwear.

This was increased by the famous painting of the ‘Prince of Wales’, depicting the then Prince Edward in his Fair Isle gansey. Catalogues advertising ‘Real Shetland Knitwear’ were produced by mainland companies, offering Shetland shawls and Fair Isle knitwear sourced directly from the islands (alongside often patronising depictions of Shetland life).

Shetland knitters would make all manners of garments for the elite outwith Shetland. These outside influences, also inspired new colours and motifs, and these more modern styles and new design skills also began to be seen and worn in Shetland.

Shetlanders are well known for their skills and speed when knitting, this has a less romantic past. The Truck System where knitting was exchanged for items rather than payment meant that the knitter needed to make as much as they could as quickly as they could.

Many worked hard at their skills to make themselves and their knitting as efficient as possible to ensure they had plenty to barter at their local shop, these skills have been passed down the generations and many Shetland knitters are still using techniques developed by our ancestors in much harder times.

The use of long Double Pointed Needles and a Knitting Belt, as well as steeking (casting on extra stitches which are later cut) and knitting in the round all came out of these times. Fair Isle knitting can look intimidating, but it only uses two colours at one time – another efficient use of both wool and knitters time. It is infinitely easier to knit Fair Isle than to purl it so knitting in the round wherever possible has become a mainstay of our culture.

Post war and the introduction of knitting machines changed the way many textiles were made in Shetland. Fair Isle yokes and any garment with plain parts that could be machine knitted led to increased production, and these skills also became part of Shetland’s rich textile history. This made bigger scale export possible, and many textile businesses have both come, gone and remained throughout.

The oil boom era of the 1970s and '80s brought money and investment into Shetland. However, tradition is retained and there are small and large makers throughout Shetland.

The hand knitting industry has also developed over the years and there is now space for designers who are from Shetland to share their patterns for others, thus creating a huge market for those wishing to knit like Shetlanders and who want to use the traditional wool to make it.

For a small place with relatively few people, it is fascinating that Shetland has ended up with such a strong textile culture. I belive the inspiration comes from the harder times – in the winter when there are limited hours of daylight, the patterns brighten up life in the same way that the light of summer seems to be reflected in the knitting.

The interest in Shetlanders and our textiles does not seem to be waning and during events like Shetland Wool Week, Shetlanders share their skills and knowledge with visitors and locals alike.

In this way the story of Shetland's textiles will continue to evolve for many years to come.

Watch our film about Shetland's "insanely creative" Arts and Crafts community.