I set off again on an around the isles tour with my first 'Filskit' Fizzy Fair weekend in Unst.

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My last destination on my Gloril Tour was Fetlar. Nestled between Unst and Yell it takes 2 or 3 ferry trips from the mainland to reach it. I was really excited to see Skerries Lighthouse in the distance from the lovely room in the Fetlar Hall that we met in. I was even more excited that half the isles population comes to the class!! 18 out of a population of 36 made lampshades that weekend including 3 generations of the same family.

Fetlar is famous for fine lace knitting and Betsy Williamson is a expert in this!

her daughter, Elizabeth, runs online Shetland lace classes and has patterns and classes available from www.elizabethwilliamsonknitting.co.uk You may have also seen her designs in the Shetland Wool Week Annuals. 

One of the delights of this tour has been seeing gorgeous hand knits. Check out this amazing cardigan! 

And so my Gloril Tour of the Outer Isles had come to an end. The sun shone on the last day and with the practice of knitting in company and achieving a finished product to really felt like it shone on us all. In the end there were 75 folk that came and knitted lampshades. I love the thought that they're all scattered around Shetland, reminding us all of how easy it is to disconnect and then reconnect with our neighbours, friend and craft. 

I'm so grateful to Shetland Arts for believing in and funding project. Without this it couldn't have gone ahead. I'm also grateful to Kathryn Spence/Gordon for her support throughout. A recurring theme in the feedback is the gratitude and appreciation at have the classes brought to the isles rather than folk having to travel to Lerwick. I think it's good for an island wide organisation like Shetland Arts to enable this as it shows that it can cater for all of Shetland and not just our central belt! 

The design for these lamps was developed from my original lampshades made for the New Shetland Museum an Archives. With the availability of new connectivity worldwide I have since taught this class online to folk from around the world so their lamps join the Shetland ones in lighting us up. I teach it as a  6 hour or 2 x 3 hour class. Knitting with wire is harder on your hands and wrists to knit but the results are great! Maybe I'll see you in a class soon.

I'll leave the Fetlar group with the final words:

Fetlar 

Fantastic workshop. Love the fact it has taken place in Fetlar rather than have to go to Lerwick. Its so nice to meet people and it definitely helps with connecting the community. Would love to have some more workshops come to Fetlar.

Really enjoyed the workshop and to learn a new creative skill. Fascinating initial presentation about the source of inspiration. Great to be in Fetlar, to meet up with Fetlar folk, especially after covid and not to have to travel off island.

Absolutely brilliant! A great way to have a ‘get together’ and good to have it in Fetlar rather than having to travel to the mainland.

How fabulous has this workshop been?! Especially so after 2 years of covid. Thank you soooo much Helen for all your mentoring and the wonderful Shetland yarns! 

I have really enjoyed the wire knitting and the company. Helen is a great mentor. I am a non knitter and I got on quite good. So nice to have something in Fetlar.

I have thoroughly enjoyed making the cover for my lamp get day out and very patient teacher. Lovely. Thank you. 

It has been wonderful to attend a craft class IN FETLAR which was today new to me and which I was able to complete! This gives a great deal of satisfaction, without the tiring journey to Lerwick where most things occur. Thank you so much. 

 

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I fly into Fair Isle and enjoy sharing the lamp making class. 

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One positive thing about lockdown was that once restrictions were lifted a little, we could explore places closer to home. Many Shetlanders holiday outwith Shetland in a bid to seek the sun and a brief period of anonymity, the travel restrictions meant that people discovered the gems on their own doorstep. The best thing for me about the Gloril tour was visiting places that I have been meaning to for years, I had been to Skerries but only as a baby. Growing up my neighbours were from Skerries and I had friends from there too. Another island where day visits are tricky due to the infrequency of the ferry.

There are 2 options for public transport to Skerries - both by boat, one lasting 2 hours and 40 mins from Lerwick and the other from Vidlin taking 90 mins. I took the shorter option! I think it is possible to visit for few hours and still get back to mainland Shetland the same day but luckily I was staying for the weekend.

Skerries is made up of 3 islands two of which are joined by a bridge. It's always fine to visit somewhere new and I was blown away by Skerries beauty. Around every corner was another view!

Day 1 of the workshop was in the Skerries Hall. It's a wonderful hall, home to many a dance and spree. While the weekend was full of laughter - my cheeks were genuinely spaghied (muscle fatigued) from laughing there was an air of sadness too. A few years ago the population was 70 and dances and events in the hall was a fairly regular occurrence, now following the closure of their school on one casting vote, the population has dropped to 30. It's hard to explain the richness of education that a child can receive in such an environment. Exam success of students was high, onward career progression of alumni can boast Captains, Drs and entrepreneurs but hard as the islanders fought to keep their school open, it closed, family left and the population declined. Now, except for occasional visiting grandchildren, it's a childless isle.

Day 2 we moved to the Waiting room, newly built to provide temporary shelter for travellers. With chairs and a table, tea and coffee facilities available and a view like a painting it was ideal for our second day.

Here's Violet with her lamp outside the house she was born it. Violet is an incredible knitter and if you're lucky you might find one of her hand knitted jumpers at the Shetland Arts and Crafts November Craft Fair. Shes' also an author having published 'Skerries - The Forgotten Isles' recently. Surrounded by rocks, as its name suggest, and pre lighthouse, Skerries has witnessed shipwrecks. In iher book Violet recounts finding real treasure as a child in the shores around Skerries. She brought in one such coin dated 1711 that had been made into a necklace. Show here with a £1 coin for size comparison. 

I love Kelly's use of the scraps of 'mistakes' that were made into balls and attached to give a new design shade with even more texture. It's great when creativity strikes! 

I love how Marina made a lamp that matches her cardigan! 

She later elevated her shade with a glass base to give contemporary Victorian chic!

With the improved weather conditions we were able to take photos with the lamps outside. I love the way Patti turned her accidental hole into a spiders web! 

The community have begun to raise funds to create a Skerries Heritage Centre in their old Kirk (church). If you'd like to support then in this quest you can contribute to heir crowdfund using the QR code below or by searching 'Skerries Heritage Centre' in the crowdfunding site. 

I truly had the best weekend and was sad to leave. It's thanks to Shetland Arts that projects such as this can take place. People in small islands are used to having to travel to the mainland to attend events and often miss out. Small populations require that a few folk do many jobs and perform many roles within the community. It was a privilege  to travel to them and I hope to be back again soon. 

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Having watched the sun set over Papa Stour all my life, I finally visit! 

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