This blog post references feral sheep, rock formations in the Outer Hebrides, sustainable wardrobes, and mathematics. Just so you know what you’re getting into. Let’s continue, shall we?
I’m not a fan of disposable fashion, about which I’ll say more in another post. As much as possible, I like to know where my clothes come from and under what conditions they were made. I particularly enjoy making my own clothes, so when I finished knitting my latest cardigan, (expertly designed by Ysolda Teague), I decided to join Ysolda’s 2015 Shawl Club.
The first rule of Shawl Club is that you cannot blog about Shawl Club. Or is that some other club?
My first Shawl Club installment arrived from Scotland in February, and when I opened the package, I literally squealed with delight. It included a shawl design called Stac Shoaigh, a beautiful skein of custom-spun wool, and a postcard depicting the rare breed sheep used to make the wool.
Stac Shoaigh is a name given to the sea stack formations off the coast of St. Kilda, where the Soay, a relict population of primitive domesticated sheep, have more or less run feral for thousands of years. The tiny Soay currently living on St. Kilda are domesticated, but on nearby uninhabited Hirta they’re completely undisturbed. Overall, the Soay are classified as a Category 4 breed (at risk, but not endangered).
Midway through the 20th century, some flocks of Soay were transported to the mainland to establish novelty herds, which now produce a modest amount of fiber for yarn. Interestingly, Soay don’t have to be shorn, since their wool sheds naturally and can be plucked by hand in a process called rooing. (I’m imagining Little Bo Peep chasing her sheep, plucking their fleece by the handful.)
Designer Ysolda Teague describes the shawl design as follows:
The large holes, organic curves and sharp points were inspired by the tunneled rock formations of the sea stack Stac Shoaigh while the garter stitch and feather and fan is reminiscent of everyday “Hap” shawls from the Shetland isles. Perfect for a Shetland, Soay fibre blend.
The undyed Soay yarn is soft and springy and beautifully variegated. I knitted my gorgeous shawl in a flash, but since I didn’t make a decent gauge swatch or weigh the yarn or actually do any yardage calculations like a normal person, I ran out of fiber on the picot bind-off, six inches from the end. It was utterly demoralizing.
But Ysolda was so sweet, she sent me an extra little packet of yarn so I could finish my shawl. The finished project is cozy and warm, very special, and just the right size for me–or Dulcinea.
