Shetland Wool Week celebrates textile heritage

The seventeenth annual Shetland Wool Week is set to begin this Sunday, celebrating the islands' textile heritage, knitting culture, and wool traditions. Managed by the Shetland Amenity Trust, the festival is expected to attract nearly 1,000 enthusiasts from around the world, including visitors from Japan and New Zealand.

The week-long program features hundreds of classes, workshops, talks, exhibitions, and social events held across Unst, the South Mainland, and Lerwick. Highlights include new workshops on Fair Isle knitting through the ages, finishing techniques, and peg loom weaving. The Shetland Museum Archives will also host lunchtime talks.

This year’s patron is knitwear designer Helen Robertson, who has contributed to the program through ‘Knit-A-Long’ sessions and the design of the Birsie Beanny hat. Robertson will lead special tours to Unst, Ollaberry, and Whalsay. Additionally, a livestreamed panel discussion will feature Unst lace knitters to explore the history and skills behind the local lace knitting tradition.