Shetland Wool Week 2013
7th - 13th October 2013
Shetland Wool
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Shetland Sheep
Shetland wool is a world-class natural fibre, and its reputation relies on the islands' native expertise from the crofters who grow it to the talented Shetland women who design and create with it. The legacy of the isles early wool industry has gifted contemporary Shetland with an international reputation for excellence in knitting and textiles.
Wool played a pivotal role in the development of Shetland’s modern history. There are few places in the world where wool has been continuously grown, processed, knitted and sold, for centuries, and a few locations where every stage of production - from sheep right to through to finished sweater - is still locally evident. And certainly there is nowhere to beat Shetland in terms of its sheer wealth of expertise, from internationally-renowned wool experts like Oliver Henry, to Hazel Tindall, the world's fastest knitter. Highlighting the fibre's bright future alongside its important heritage, Shetland Wool Week is a truly time for celebration.
Shetland Wool Week 2013
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The varied and extensive line up for the 2013 Wool Week festival includes master classes and events with well-known local and international knitters and designers.
Now in its fourth year, Shetland Wool Week is a celebration of Britain’s most northerly native sheep, Shetland’s textile industries and rural farming communities.
Guest patron of this year’s event is Felicity Ford, who, in addition to her work with ‘Wovember’ is also an accomplished sound artist and textile designer. Felicity’s workshops and lectures will include a focus on the ‘sounds of Shetland sheep’, inviting participants to ‘listen’ to Shetland wool.
Felicity will be joined by Tom Van Deijnen, otherwise known as ‘Tom of Holland’ for selected events. Tom is perhaps best known for his Visible Mending Programme (VMP), where he uses darning, patching and weaving techniques to give a new lease of life to damaged or over-loved garments. Also on the bill for this year’s event, is international designer and teacher, Di Gilpin, who has recently been awarded The Balvenie Master of Craft award for the Textiles Category for 2012. Di’s work brings hand knitting to the fashion world, and her 30 years of teaching experience brings something special to her workshops.
Well-known local designers and knitters will also be providing a range of courses and events for aspiring Fair Isle and lace knitters, spinners, weavers and dyers. The Hoswick Visitor Centre has an astonishing array of events planned through the week with Niela Nell Kalra and Elizabeth Johnston; Jamieson and Smith (Shetland Wool Brokers) Ltd will open their shop daily for lessons with Hazel Tindall, Mary Henderson and Mary Kay, to name a few; with additional events taking place throughout Shetland, including: Unst Heritage Centre, ASF Shetland, Whalsay Heritage Centre, Shetland Museum and Archives, Shetland Textile Museum and Shetland College.
Read last year's Shetland Wool Week report by Kate Davies here.
A further addition to this year’s Wool Week, is the North Atlantic Native Sheep and Wool Conference, which will be held over four days at the end of the festival. The Conference is an international project held annually in venues in the North Atlantic region. The aim of these conferences is to bring together beneficiaries and stakeholders in native sheep and wool production to collaborate, and develop new projects and initiatives. Holding the conference in different venues throughout the North Atlantic each year allows the host area to highlight initiatives and challenges in their own area.
Bookings for Wool Week events and the Conference will be available through Shetland Box Office from Monday 29th April, unless otherwise stated in the programme details.