And just like that, another Shetland Wool Week is over. We had the best time and it was so good to be back to full strength in person once more!
Shetland Wool Week 2024 dates
But first things first, here are the all-important dates for next year.
Sunday 29 September – Saturday 5 October 2024
You’ll notice that this is in fact seven days. Don’t worry the Hub will still be open for the full nine days and there will no doubt be woolly happenings; we just won’t be running any classes on the first Saturday and last Sunday.
2023 Woolly Round Up
We had a sea of Buggiflooer Beanies – this has to be one of the favourite photos from the event . Thank you Alison for your star of a hat that we think will be knitted and worn for years to come.
We welcomed visitors from across the world, some who came for the first time, having been captured by the spirit of Shetland Wool Week from our online presence. Others were repeat visitors, with one lady saying this was her 13th year.
The ‘SWW Welcome’ and Hub were back and we welcomed many talented local folk in to sit and share stories and their skills with our visitors. Our daily ‘Huddles at the Hub’ were a lovely new addition to the programme and focused on spinning; Shetland lace, machine and Fair Isle knitting, and knitwear repair sessions.
A welcome addition to this year’s programme was the expansion to the cultural programme, with talks, story-telling, music and traditional food. We are committed to celebrating Shetland’s rich heritage and this is a great opportunity to do that. At the Crofthouse Museum, the team organised a Walk in Dir Shoes, with participants invited to knit with a kishie on their backs to copy our predecessors daily life experiences. At the Shetland Museum, a member of the team hosted a net mending demonstration – which went down a storm – with knitters showing natural maritime skills.
Events took place throughout the isles from Unst right down to Sumburgh, with local halls pulling together volunteers to run woolly themed demonstrations and knitwear displays; music and social evenings as well as workshops. It was lovely to see their skills on show, and folk from across the world being genuinely blown away by their talent.
We managed get pre-orders of the SWW Annual out ahead of time and it was heartening to hear that it was landing at your front door to coincide with the event!
Hazel Sutherland, chief executive of SAT said: “Shetland Amenity Trust manages the event but we couldn’t do it without the amazing support of volunteers and tutors who work away behind the scenes and in their local communities contributing to the overall programme, and I would like to thank everyone for all that they do. It really is amazing to see the range of events taking place throughout the isles – from incredible knitwear displays, workshops and talks, to social evenings, pop up markets and croft tours.
“This year we have focused on encouraging visitors to slow down and not overload their itineraries so that they can fully absorb all that Shetland has to offer. Going forward our aim will be to ensure that the festival remains an authentic and immersive cultural experience, but always with Shetland wool at its heart. We have received some great feedback – with one attendee saying that Shetland Wool Week has ‘enriched so many people’s lives’. That is a powerful compliment and one that we are very proud to share.
“It is a privilege for us to host this event on behalf of the community. We love that our visitors then take back a peerie bit – actually, in some cases, very large suitcases full – of Shetland products – and their memories. Many have said they would love to return and we will be delighted to welcome them back.”
And for those of you who just can’t wait until next September, you can book up for an Island Vista ‘Makkin our way through Shetland’ Spring/Sumer knitting tours. You can choose from Fair Isle; Lace or Contemporary Craft themed weeks.
Full details can be found on their website
