Click Clack went the Needles

I read The Art of Fair Isle Knitting by Ann Feitelson. It is pretty interesting to learn about the Shetland and Fair Isle knitting. I like to knit and I love Scotland. I love Orkney and Shetland Isles. I got to go to the two main islands of both and fell in love. I would honestly love to live there. I think I'd begin to miss trees, but I think I'd be comforted chasing sheepies around. I seriously don't know why I am obsessed with sheep. Anyways, the book talks about the development of knitting in these areas and how it was never really for a past time, but work. Many women had to supplement their incomes with their knitting. The past patterns, techniques, and theories of where the patterns came from were quite interesting. There are stories that the "Shetland" or "Fair Isle" patterns come from the Spanish Armada or Norway. According to Ann, the patterns of the Shetlands seem to be unique to them, although with Shetland being a busy harbor, many other nations could have influenced patterns. There are/were some women that could look at a sweater on another person and immediately map out the pattern in there heads...not me! Yikes! I found this book really interesting and I am ready to break out my knitting needles! I also miss the islands - so pretty, like the photo below!