A Fresh New Header

Hi folks, decided today I would give my blog a fresh, new header picture. I had actually taken this photo for another purpose but felt it was also suitable for my blog. I like the blend of colours together.
Just to tell you a little about each thing and why I chose it, I'll work from left to right around the lamp, which I just chose because I like it so much. Here we go......
1. Real Shetland Yarns, a book in which I have a story published about my father and grandfather, both weavers of Shetland rugs. My father worked exclusively in natural un-dyed Shetland colours and his designs were instantly recognizable. I was one of 40 runners-up and we recently all met up at the book launch and received a complimentary copy of this very interesting and colourful book. It was a fab night! I must just tell you this too. As many times as I have seen the photo of my father which is published in the book, I had never before realized that on the wall of the weaving shed were the words (Chad style!!) "Wot? No rugs?" My sister and I really laughed when we saw that. We could just imagine dad doing that.
2. A very old pattern for knitted Fair Isle berets for children. It was humorous to note that in the pattern it doesn't say "instructions" but "recipe"!! I love that.
3. An Introduction to Keeping Sheep. A great little book just to browse and look up things. I was brought up on a croft and we did keep sheep then, but things have changed enormously since then and you can never have too much knowledge or expertise when it comes to animal husbandry.
4. This is a photo of my late father, a weaver, a knitter, a humorous story teller, baker of fine scones and pancakes, jam maker and overall great man.
5. Pattern for a Shetland cockle shell scarf.
6. The Dogs of Woodcutter Down by David Kennard. The book I'm reading at the moment and enjoying too. Makes me wish I had a sheepdog though. I have to run up the steep hill myself!!
I'm off now to put all these items back in their place and get on with knitting the "Arches and Columns" scarf I blogged about in a previous post. It's driving me mad but I AM going to finish it........and secretly hope it will win a prize at the shows. Well, you have to be positive about these things!
Until next time, take care and be creative.

Real Shetland Stories Competition

In October, during Shetland Wool Week, I entered a competition called "Real Shetland Stories". The idea was to write a short piece of 300 words or less which would tell how wool has been a part of your life.
Having a father and a grandfather who were both talented weavers I decided I would have a go at the competition.
Here is my short piece of writing, followed by a photo of both my father and grandfather.

Wool has been part of the fabric of my family for generations. My grandfather worked a hand loom to weave pure Shetland wool rugs. This creative gene was obviously passed to my father, Adam Johnson from Levenwick, who himself was a very talented weaver of Shetland wool rugs. He worked exclusively in the natural, un-dyed colours of Shetland fleece and his designs were his own and instantly recognizable.
He weaved in Levenwick first of all, then was asked to go into Fair Isle where he also taught machine knitting. My father being a patient, softly spoken man as well as a gifted one was an ideal tutor of these Shetland traditions and he did much to educate people and pass these traditions on.
For a time he taught in Scotland, where he met my mother, and was asked to go to America to teach, but I think my mother decreed this was just ‘one pond too many’!!
She had agreed to move to Shetland and that was far enough!
In 1963 my parents moved to Sandness and my father took a job at Aurora Knitwear in Walls, owned by Lizzie Sutherland. There he dressed jumpers, a job he also enjoyed. Often he took jumpers home to dress. The crew necks had to have a thread run through them to keep the necks in the correct shape while the jumper was being dressed. That was my job! I still remember the cotton spools being kept in an old National Dried Milk container and I got tuppence a neck!! This still makes me smile to this day! I’m very proud of the inheritance left by my father and grandfather and would thread those necks for nothing if I could spend just a moment with both these talented, generous men.



My father weaving at the loom.




My grandfather weaving at the loom. Sadly I never met him.

I was delighted when I received a letter telling me I was one of 40 runners-up who would have their 'story' published in a book in 2012. The book will be an evocative record of life in Shetland in relation to wool and textiles and will be published by Shetland Heritage Publications.
I am very excited about that because it will mean that the talents of my father and grandfather will be recorded in print for generations to come. What better prize could I have?
But that was not all!!
I also received a pure Shetland wool travel rug in natural colours exactly like the one pictured below.



This rug is very special to me for 2 reasons.
1. I won it for writing about the weaving talents of my father and grandfather.
2. It is made in natural colours which my father used exclusively in his designs.
And now as I embark on my own personal journey with pure natural coloured Shetland wool I somehow feel very close to my father who is sadly no longer with us. But he is always with me in my creativity!

I do hope you have enjoyed reading this post and seeing the old photos of two very gifted men.

Feel free to comment or ask questions if you wish to. Or you can email me by clicking on the icon at top right.

Bye for now. Back soon!