There is so much about Shetland Wool Week that I find
exciting, and I’m especially looking forward to Fair Isle Friday, when folks
are encouraged to post pictures of their Fair Isle projects on social
media. This seems like a great way to
focus attention on this textile tradition, and I am preparing to
participate. My plan is to take pictures
of ALL the webcam hats that I’ve designed over the past 3 years. In all there are 10 different designs, each
one inspired by Shetland Webcams. All
the designs have the same OXO pattern, with the O shaped like an eye and the X
like a tripod in reference to the webcams.
The OXO patterns surround a central pattern that represents some aspect
of what can be viewed from a specific camera, or sometimes from a few cameras. I
have six versions of one of the hats, and some of them I have made using
J&S for one and Spindrift for another. I’ve also used Uradale organic yarns
and have tried a few using the non-Shetland yarn Knit Picks Palette.
Aurora Hat
Inspired by Cliff Cams 1 and 3
The loopy central pattern represents the ever-changing
greenish light in the sky around Sumburgh Head, as seen on Cliff Cams 1 and 3.
Puffin Hat
Inspired by Cliff Cams 1, 2, and 3
I struggled with this pattern until I decided to show the
puffin head-on.
Waves and Rocks Hat
Inspired by Cliff Cam 1
The waves crashing on the rocky cliffs of Sumburgh Head
provide endless entertainment.
 |
| Waves and Rocks on the brother, Pastures and Stiles on the sister-in-law. |
Pastures and Stiles Hat
Inspired by Cliff Cam 3
I enjoy the cliff walk from Jarlshof to Sumburgh Head Light
House every time I visit Shetland. The
sheep don’t seem to mind folks walking through their pastures.
The patterns for Puffin, Waves and Rocks, and Pastures and Stiles hats are available here.
Lerwick Hat
Inspired by Victoria Pier Cam
The Victoria Pier cam offers a panoramic view of Lerwick and
the central pattern of this hat was inspired by the silhouette of rooftops
against the sky.
Speaker Hat
Inspired by Shetland Museum Cam (no longer in operation)
I loved watching the ferry come and go from this cam, and
sometimes the water and sky appeared such a brilliant blue. The central pattern of this hat was inspired
by a terrace in front of the museum with an array of speakers that convey
interesting stories about Shetland.
Fire Festival Hat
Inspired by Town Hall West (no longer in operation, but
there is now a channel devoted to Up Helly Aa)
This hat was super fun to design, with the Viking helmet and
the bright, fiery colors. A pattern for this hat is available here.
Jubilee Garden Hat
This is the one that has been most challenging to design,
but also the most fun because I absolutely love the Jubilee Garden in
Lerwick. It is a vibrant, colorful oasis
amongst rows and rows of brownish-grey houses in the middle of the town. The early version of this hat depicted a
pathway as the central pattern, but it seemed important to have a more obvious
floral motif, so I played around with a flower design that included roots
underground.
Bressay Light House
Inspired by Fjara Sea Level Cam
The colors in this hat are based on the white, yellow, and
black on the light house and the red equipment around it. The cliffs and sea and sky provide a
beautiful contrast on Fjara cam.
The Ferry Hat
Inspired by almost every cam, especially the new Lerwick
Harbour cam
I often watch the ferry leave on its daily journey south. I’d
have to be up at 2 a.m. to see it arrive, and I have watched it come in a few
times, but mostly I see it leave, at approximately 12:30 or 2:00 p.m. my
time. I LOVE taking the ferry to and
from Shetland and seeing it on the webcams from afar is a special treat. The
ferry is not easy to translate into a Fair Isle pattern—the hat pictured here
is the 4th version, and I’m still not sure it’s quite right. What is
supposed to look like a boat with Magnus the Viking pointing forward looks a
bit more like the Statue of Liberty on a snail!
Making these hats and working out their designs has been
hugely fun. I love working with J&S
2-ply and Spindrift, and knitting the hats has developed into a source of
solace during these past few challenging years. I’ve nearly got the pattern for
Jubilee Garden Hat written, but I’m thinking I’ll stop there with this project
and turn my attention to other Fair Isle projects and some Shetland lace. I
can’t imagine not watching the webcams, though, so inspiration might strike
again!
