I learned about Kindly Wool from Oliver Henry at Jamieson & Smith in Shetland. Kindly Wool Sheep are those that produce the finest and softest of the Shetland wools. While there, I also learned about the 3 types of Shetland sheep that produce this iconic yarn. 1)The Shetland breed; the small hardy sheep that are native to the islands, 2) Shetland sheep; the various cross-bred sheep raised in the Shetland Islands, and 3)”Improved” Shetland sheep; cross-breeds that have lost some or all of the hair that made the outer coat of the native sheep, and those bred to favor the white fleece.
There also is “Shetland” yarn; wool from a variety of sheep not raised in the islands, that have some of the characteristics of true Shetland yarns. One example of this is the Harrisville Designs Shetland yarn spun from Australian and New Zealand Fleece. There also are many sheep in the US and other countries that were imported from Shetland. Jamieson and Smith Wool Brokers in Shetland would argue that these are not Shetland sheep, and shouldn’t be called that. I understand the idea, but haven’t gotten my head totally around that idea.
There also is a distinct difference between the primitive Shetland breed, and sheep that can be found on the Shetland islands but have been cross-bred or “improved.”
The sheep from this ancient breed are closely related to the now extinct Scottish Dunface, and are considered landrace sheep if they haven’t been “improved.” By definition these are a locally adapted species, developed over time, in an isolated agricultural environment.
The breed is part of the short-tailed group, mainly double coated, and horned (particularly males). The fleece is very light-weight, generally about 2 pounds, and was traditionally plucked, or “rooed” (but now mainly shorn). When the fleece was plucked, the remaining wool (particularly around the neck and chest) could be extremely soft and fine.
Morrit (more red) lamb, photo from Wikipedia by Jean.
One of the things I find most interesting about this breed is the amazing range of natural colors. The breed association recognizes 11 main colors (many including a variety of shades), as well as thirty coat patterns.
In 2000, Dr. Stefan Adalsteinsson presented his research that documents the 30 or more names of the coat patterns in the Shetland dialect as well as in Iceland. His research shows that over the 1100 years of their development, these names have remained remarkably similar, and all can be traced to the Norwegian language (Norway being the origin of both Shetland and Icelandic sheep).
A sample of the variety of colors of Shetland Sheep. From Wikipedia via Andrew from UK.
New yarns to review…
There is much more to say about the Shetland Breed and how it has evolved, and I’ll save that for a later post. In the meanwhile, I’ve been getting on with yarn sampling from more Scottish crofters, and have a couple to look at.
First is a lace-weight white Cheviot from Sabrina’s flock (Heatherlea Black Cheviot) not far from Inverness. While she is better known for her black Cheviot flock, I confess the dark color is a bit hard on my aged eyes for knitting, so I chose the easier route with the white.
Last year’s flock with new lambs. The lambs are solid, pure black, and this dark black color also is found underneath the sun-bleached fleece of the adults.
I like this yarn very much. It is strong and very bouncy because of the distinctive helical crimp of the fibers.
There is very little hair or kemp in the fleece, but just enough to provide a touch of halo in the yarn. This doesn’t reduce the softness significantly, but rather lends character to the yarn.
I was a little worried that the Cheviot might prove a little too scratchy for next-to-skin wear — particularly at the neck — but was wrong. After soaking, and blocking to stretch out the lace patterns, the cowl was comfortable. Having used lace-weight rather than fingering, it’s also light as a feather.
Like nearly all small production yarns I’ve looked at, there is some inconsistency in the yarn diameter with thick and thin spots. That didn’t deter me in the least, because I chose a lace pattern for the test knit. The pattern is a favorite of mine by Stephanie Pearl McFee called Pretty Thing. The pattern calls for a heavier weight, but I actually like the very open and delicate look with this yarn. It would have been completed earlier if I hadn’t originally cast on 180 rather than 118 stitches. Rip, rip, rip.
While you’re on the Heatherlea Black Cheviot site, take a look at Sabrina’s other yarns and fleece batts. She also has done some hand dying if you are interested in more than the natural colors.
I also want to draw your attention to Sabrina’s new venture with the production of wool handbags and shopping bags made from of fabric woven from the fleece of her black and white sheep. They are both stylish and sophisticated, and I’d love to see the fabric as a jacket.
Hebridean wool…
This headband is knit from a yarn I bought from Matteo Nencini of Brawliemuir Farm in Aberdeenshire. He moved his family from Italy in 2018 and bought the farm in 2020. It came with several Hebridean sheep, and he has added several more along with 9 cashmere goats. At the moment he produces only one type of yarn: a 95/5 Hebridean/cashmere yarn in light Aran weight. As he says on his site, the “strong scent of real wool will make you remember the true flavors of the countryside and natural products.” That absolutely is true, and my cats haven’t stopped rubbing their faces in it since I brought it home.
I wanted to spend a little time with this wool to understand its character, so rather than just a swatch, I made a winter headband with a simple 2×2 ribbing on the edges and a slipped stitch center. I used up the entire ball of yarn (50gm) for this project, and actually had to skimp on the second section of ribbing when I ran out.
Brawliemuir yarn is dense, and I’m sure the addition of cashmere helps give it good loft and stitch definition. The larger motifs in Matteo’s cowl (above) really show that off much better than my simple headband.
I found myself wanting a higher percentage of cashmere to soften the hand a bit. Like any rustic fiber, this yarn is a little rough in the hand, although it does soften on soaking and blocking. I won’t have any problem using the headband next winter, and my choice of the pattern stitch will make for a good, wind-proof design. This headband is a free pattern on Ravelry by Nicole Redfern.
Brawliemuir is another yarn I recommend trying. It’s sturdy, and would be a good candidate for a jacket or Aran style sweater for outdoor wear. The traditional use of a slightly smaller than normal needle size for Aran style sweaters really makes cables and patterns pop, and the dark Hebridean natural color is really compelling. I particularly like the fact that through the introduction of cashmere, the yarn has a unique character and depth and texture, but that doesn’t compete with the knitted motifs at all.
I hope you also will appreciate Matteo’s approach to farming and raising his animals:
…it is morally right and materially possible to interact with the environment without plundering it, raise animals without abusing them, obtain quality products without forgetting the rhythm of nature.
Taken from Matteo’s Web page
Favorite things…
Over the years I’ve added this and that to my notions box; some of which I’d never be without. For the most part these are things that you wouldn’t ordinarily associate with knitting, but have been recommended to me by friends/teachers/authors. These are the few things that have stayed with me.
Bread bag closures: There are (often) times I’ve cast on stitches using the long-tail method where I find I have a very long tail left over. I don’t want to break it off (and probably don’t want to use it for seaming). Because it is a left-over bit, I can always thread it up into a seam to use if I ever need to do a small repair. The downside is that I sometimes pick up the tail and start knitting with it, and shortly find myself having to rip out stitches to start over. You can make a “butterfly” out of that tail, or more easily wrap the tail around the plastic closure to keep it out of the way. I got this trick from my friend Suzanne, and I don’t know if it was hers originally or it was passed on from another knitter, but either way it’s a genius idea.
Nail file: I have fingernails that are always splitting or breaking, and these can so easily catch in yarn — particularly fuzzy yarns or silk. I can’t tell you how often I’ve been grateful to have an emery board in my notions box to file off my rough edges. Before that time, I had actually ruined silk yarns that shredded against a ragged nail.
This photo also shows my go-to stitch markers: small rubber o-rings with outer diameters of 5, 7 and 9mm. They come in black and white and are about $7-8/100. At the rate I lose them, these are a great substitute for more expensive plastic markers.
Clothes pins: Have you ever joined in the round and failed to “carefully make sure” that your stitches haven’t twisted? Before I heard the following trick, I’d knitted with the tail too many times to count.
I found these miniature clothes pins at a craft store (in several sizes). They are usually in the section for party planning. Clip a few of them onto the bottom of the cast on edge to force the stitches to hang down. If the stitches are too small to grab with the clothes pin and you’re working on a circular needle, clip the pin right over the stitch plus the cable. It works either way.
This excellent idea came from knitter, crocheter, teacher and writer Lily Chin (her writing on double-sided cables also is a great reference).
On the needles…
A hat. I’ve just cast on with Annfield’s Mohair in the lovely pistachio green you see above. It’s a straightforward cabled hat designed to go with this very soft and lovely yarn. I’m looking forward to seeing it finished. Although it has climbed to nearly 80 degrees F today, there likely are more days of chilly weather to come, so if I’m fast, it actually might have an outing this year.
I’m also really looking forward to getting back to Bruce’s sweater, and I have an Alice Starmore tam and mitts in the queue. Alice is one of my most favorite designers, and while she might be best known for her Fair Isle patterns, she recently developed some incredible designs for costume to illustrate books written by her daughter Jade. I’ve linked here to my favorite called Lapwing. If her knitting and design don’t inspire you, I can’t imagine what will!
Meanwhile….
Stay calm and craft on. ‘Till the next time.
edited 15/4 to correct spelling
Interesting as usual.