Interwoven: a historical examination of relational capital in the context of Shetland hand knitting and the barter economy.

Hannibal, Claire

Abstract

The 19th century has been described as the most important period in the organisation and development of hand knitting in the Shetland Islands, yet it has received relatively limited research attention. The historical context of an economy based predominantly on the fishing industry, and labouring under an economic system comprised chiefly of barter, provides an important backdrop to the progression of hand knitting in the Shetland Islands. Fishing, a chiefly male economic pursuit, impacted on family life as men were absent from the Islands for long periods of time, with some never returning. In consequence, women sought vital economic opportunities and hand knitting was fitted around their daily activities. The organisation of Shetland hand knitting during this period has been described as 'casual to the point of disorganisation' (Fryer, 1995, p.23). When examined closely, however, knitters were able to develop exchange relationships across the Shetland Islands which meant that they could produce and sell hand knitted garments. This chapter adopts a historical perspective to examine Shetland hand knitting operations and supply chains in the 19th century and illustrates how relational capital was essential to survival.

Citation

HANNIBAL, C. [2025]. Interwoven: a historical examination of relational capital in the context of Shetland hand knitting and the barter economy. In Hannibal, C., Perry, P. and Benstead, A.V. (eds.) Handbook of fashion supply chains and operations. Berlin: De Gruyter [online], (forthcoming).

• Deposit Date: Jul 11, 2025
• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Book Title: Handbook of fashion supply chains and operations
• Chapter Number: chapter 1
• ISBN: 9783111383880
• Keywords: Shetland; Barter; Relational capital; Knitting
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2923202
• Related Public URLs: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2923159 (The book in which this has been published); https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2923187 (Introduction by C. Hannibal, P. Perry and A.V. Benstead); https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2923208 (Chapter 27 by M. Tickle, C. Hannibal and Kanayo Anidi)
• Contract Date: Nov 9, 2023