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- DictionaryShetland lace/ˈʃɛtlənd/
noun
- 1. a black or white bobbin lace made from Shetland wool.
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Sep 21, 2023 · 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 ...
- Ella Gordon
- Islands of Gossamer Thread
- Long Tradition of Knitting
- Height of Fashion
- Gossamer Thread
- Collections
- Hidden Treasures
- The Tradition Continues
Shetland is famous for its craggy coastline, its dramatic weather, its hardy ponies and sheep. How could such a wild and rugged place produce some of the world's most delicate textiles? The answers lie in Shetland's many contradictions: rough hillsides produce tough and resilient sheep but they also contribute to extremely fine wool. Also, despite ...
By the time lace garments saw a resurgence of popularity in the early 19th century, Shetlanders had been knitting for several hundred years. We know knitting probably came to these shores around the year 1500, as knitting is documented in Faroe and Norway at that time. Knitting quickly caught on in Shetland: it was portable, required few tools, and...
With the reign of Queen Victoria in 1837, it became fashionable for women to wear more dress accessories, especially lace mantles, stoles and shawls. Shetland knitters may have been introduced to the idea of knitting openwork patterns by prominent travellers to Shetland, who brought with them similar garments as gifts. Eliza Edmondston, wife of an ...
Shetland "lace" is not true lace, but is called so because of the fineness of the thread with which it is made. Fine lace shawls are sometimes called "wedding ring" shawls, because, although they can measure nearly 2 metres square, they can be passed through a wedding ring. What makes this feat even more remarkable is that the yarn is usually doubl...
Early examples of Shetland's fine lace tradition are held in several museums in the islands. The Shetland Museum and Archives has the largest collection, with a number of pieces, including several large shawls, on display in their new textiles gallery. Their earliest piece is a christening shawl, dating from 1837. The Heritage Centre in Unst, the i...
In 1979, during building works at the old Westside shop in Uyeasound, Unst, a number of lace garments were found. It is believed they date to 1880, and that they were probably brought to the shop by local knitters, who traded them for goods. For some reason the garments were never sold on by the shop owner and remained hidden for a century. Their d...
Despite changes in fashion, the crafts of lace spinning and knitting continue in Shetland. Christening shawls are still made and become family heirlooms. Special gifts of hand-spun, hand-knitted lace work are commissioned. The Queen of Norway and the Duchess of Rothesay both were presented with hand-made lace stoles when they opened the new Shetlan...
Mar 5, 2024 · The craft of Shetland knitted lace-making involves fine openwork knitting, used to make shawls, stoles and scarves, among other garments. These were considered luxury items because of their fineness, complexity of design, and the length of time required to make them.
May 9, 2022 · Today, Shetland is recognised worldwide for its knitting tradition, particularly Fair Isle patterns. However, the fine knitted lace produced in the islands is perhaps less well known than it once was, and a new display at the Shetland Museum and Archives aims to put that right.
Shetland fine lace is an extremely delicate knitted fabric made with soft Shetland wool spun into very fine yarn and knitted into intricate patterns. It is traditionally knitted by hand on wires using a knitting belt.
Feb 3, 2020 · What is true for the Shetland lace knitting tradition is true for other European lace traditions based on wool: Much of their origins are lost in time. But there are some books and resources about it. Read on to find out more about Shetland lace knitting here.
Shetland lace exists within a set of cultural relationships which are temporally, spatially and socially specific and it carries shifting historical and cultural stories about its makers, traders and wearers and the worlds that they inhabited.
