HD: One
of the knitters spoke
of how she learned to knit as a child because
"idle hands weren't allowed" in those days "We
had nothing, so we had to work". She speaks of how they
had to be resourceful and that although it was a very hard
life she didn’t
remember ever being hungry. She was very aware of how this makes
you tough and more resourceful:
"You ken folk just had nothing,
no money to be made and yet I never remember
being hungry… Wondering where the next meal would come fae, didnae hurt
you."
She wondered whether people today
would have the skills to survive as they did then - should
the need ever arise.
She told me about the 'Shetland
Guild of Spinners, Dyers and Weavers', saying jokingly
"Knitting is never mentioned you'll notice!" The
Guild consists of
like-minded women who are aware that
the
skills are dying out, especially spinning.
They meet each second Saturday of the month and have a different
workshop. This usually involves 14 to 15 people and on a good
day 20 to 22 (especially for the Christmas Dinner!).
She describes
this as 'a fine get together trying to promote different
skills' where they ‘get tips on how to do things'.
She learnt to spin at the Guild about 20 years ago.
Mary (T)
said that Jamieson's, the local knitwear shop, will
not take just gloves but wants the whole set i.e. gloves,
scarf and hat - all matching, because that is what
they sell. I said I thought this was odd because not
everyone wants a
set in
such highly patterned knitwear i.e. Fair Isle. |