The wonderful fine lace designs from Shetland have always interested me. They are an interesting challenge for an experienced knitter to create and I very much enjoyed making a traditional shawl for my own first baby. The finished work is breathtakingly beautiful when worked in lace weight yarn, or the amazing 1ply cobweb yarn, made in shetland from the fleece of the hardy Shetland sheep.
In 2012 I travelled to Shetland for the Wool Week knitting festival. I had heard about Anne Eunson’s knitted fence and hoped very much to see it.
It took a little planning travelling on public transport, and a healthy walk, in order to see the fence, but I was not disappointed. In fact, I felt inspired to create a wall hanging for my cottage.
Later in the week I was lucky enough to be introduced to Anne. We were both attending a event at the museum. We chatted about her fence. She encouraged me to try making a wall hanging and to let her know how I got on.
Here is a lovely write up about Anne’s fence on Kate Davies site:
Creating a wall hanging is another way to display the traditional patterns. Using fishing net nylon not only creates a weatherproof work of art for outdoor display but links two traditions together, the knitting and the practice of hanging fishing nets up to dry.