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Shetland Jumper Firms Running Short Of Knitters
The Telegraph (UK) ^
| 2-13-2006
| Auslan Cramb
Posted on 02/13/2006 5:40:20 PM PST by blam
click here to read article
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Hey! I found some jobs for the Katrina 'victims.'
1
posted on
02/13/2006 5:40:23 PM PST
by
blam
To: blam
I have several Shetland lamb's wool sweaters. Very warm, soft and durable.
The Shetland branded sweaters (jumpers) are still hand made, mostly at home, as the article says.
2
posted on
02/13/2006 5:43:53 PM PST
by
jimtorr
To: blam
3
posted on
02/13/2006 5:57:18 PM PST
by
Dog
("So the Vice President shot somebody, big deal")
To: Knitting A Conundrum
4
posted on
02/13/2006 6:01:14 PM PST
by
LongElegantLegs
(Going armed to the terror of the public.)
To: blam
They should contact the Natives in the Cowichan Valley.
The Cowichan band were taught knitting by Scotish missonaries and the Cowichan Indian sweater is a world wide brand.
Here's a link
http://www.sa-cinn.com/cowichanmain.htm
If you want a custom made wool sweater the Cowichan is the ticket. I paid $100 for one in 1978 and it was a bargain.
They spin their wool from Scottish sheep and it's nondied natural wool. Their sweaters are collectors items. Even Prince Charles has one.
To: blam
So if I learn to knit, can I move to one of these northern British islands and make a great life for myself?
6
posted on
02/13/2006 6:19:50 PM PST
by
wouldntbprudent
(If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
To: beaver fever
"They spin their wool from Scottish sheep and it's nondied natural wool." Forget it- the article says the knitters are a dying breed.
7
posted on
02/13/2006 6:20:34 PM PST
by
fat city
("The nation that controls magnetism controls the world.")
To: wouldntbprudent
8
posted on
02/13/2006 6:25:28 PM PST
by
wouldntbprudent
(If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
To: fat city
The Cowichan knitters are not dying in fact it's a thriving industry. They were trained by Sheland knitters in the nineteenth century.
The Cowichan women, from teenagers to grandmothers, could knit a Shetland sweater in a heartbeat. Email them the pattern and they would deliver in a week.
To: blam
Wasn't this the subject of a movie made about 20 years ago where machines replaced the hand-workers and the accountants still used quill pens?
The scion, heir to the family business but totally unfamiliar with its operation, or even its existence, attempted to do the "right" thing and kept all the unproductive workers on out of the goodness of his heart, or something like that.
10
posted on
02/13/2006 6:39:38 PM PST
by
Old Professer
(Fix the problem, not the blame!)
To: blam
I can't knit or crochet for squat. I can needlepoint, cross-stitch, embroider - just can't knit. Would love to learn!
11
posted on
02/13/2006 6:40:38 PM PST
by
Xenalyte
(Can you count, suckas? I say the future is ours . . . if you can count.)
To: beaver fever
I have several books on Shetland/Fair Isle knitting...I can believe that if there is a better way to make a living, though, people are going to it. Having done some production knitting myself, I can tell you, there are better ways to make your money.
It is true that a lot of the Shetland patterns were done on varying shades of local sheep, instead of dyed wool, which looks nice. Fair Isle, though, does similar patterns with some dyed wool. The stranded effects are usually done in a combination of three shades, which may vary the length of the sweater.
Neat stuff.
But I particularly like the lacework, being crazed.
12
posted on
02/13/2006 6:53:51 PM PST
by
Knitting A Conundrum
(Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly With God Micah 6:8)
To: jimtorr
"I have several Shetland lamb's wool sweaters. Very warm, soft and durable. The Shetland branded sweaters (jumpers) are still hand made, mostly at home, as the article says."LOL! Brought back a happy memory...#3 son was small when we had our Shetland Sheepdog. He had just come home from the carnival where he'd had a ride on a Shetland pony. He was very thoughtful, then said, "I think I'd like to go to the Shetland Islands." (He knew about them because I am a handspinner and knitter)
When we asked him why, he said, "I'd just like to get a look at the people..."
13
posted on
02/13/2006 6:56:36 PM PST
by
redhead
(Alaska: Step out of the bus and into the food chain...)
To: Mercat; alwaysconservative; wildehunt; IN Farm Girl; proudofthesouth; HarleyLady27; ...
VRWKNC-Ping!
Thread on Shetland knitting!
14
posted on
02/13/2006 6:57:58 PM PST
by
Knitting A Conundrum
(Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly With God Micah 6:8)
To: wouldntbprudent
Shetland by numbers: 19 hours of midsummer daylight
138 sandy beaches
567 square miles of islands
639 miles of good roads
900 amazing miles of coastline
6,080 archaeological sites
7,000 years of history
22,000 people
46,000 gannets
200,000 puffins
Come up and see us all - sometime soon
15
posted on
02/13/2006 7:01:44 PM PST
by
blam
To: LongElegantLegs
Some pics of Shetland knitters. Poor women would carry peat from where they cut it to where it was delivered to make a little money, and they knit, especially socks, while they were walking.
16
posted on
02/13/2006 7:01:49 PM PST
by
Knitting A Conundrum
(Act Justly, Love Mercy, and Walk Humbly With God Micah 6:8)
To: Knitting A Conundrum
my gosh, my back aches just looking at the pic!
17
posted on
02/13/2006 7:03:29 PM PST
by
xsmommy
To: Knitting A Conundrum
How did you learn? My mother tried to teach me (she's one of those who can knit without looking at her hands), and pronounced me untrainable after two solid weekend days of her best attempts.
18
posted on
02/13/2006 7:04:18 PM PST
by
Xenalyte
(Can you count, suckas? I say the future is ours . . . if you can count.)
To: beaver fever
Someone should get that woman a circular knitting needle (I use them for everything.)
19
posted on
02/13/2006 7:06:10 PM PST
by
mollynme
(cogito, ergo freepum)
To: Knitting A Conundrum
I should learn to knit myself. It might get me away from this damned computer. LOL
My Cowichan sweater weighed in at ten pounds. So tightly knit it was waterproof and you could where it in Arctic temperature with nothing but a tee shirt underneath.
After the first fitting it was sent back to lengthen the sleeves at no extra charge. I love native knitters they are way more than cool and do beautiful work.
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