The Place of Shetland Knitting

Abstract

Shetland has become synonymous with certain kinds of knit textiles, which have influenced the development of its landscape, economy, and relationship to other places. Three distinct elements are important when considering Shetland knitting in relation to place: geographies of scale, e.g. small islands within a community of practice and creative economy that are global; typologies of space, e.g. domestic, educational, industrial, and online spaces; and place identity, e.g. conceptions of “Shetlandness.” The article examines each of these elements before presenting recent activity around the Shetland hap as one example of how they mesh together in practice. It builds on a 2016–17 study of contemporary Shetland hand knitting with further ethnographic research on Shetland’s knitting culture.

Keywords:

• space and place
• textiles
• knit
• island
• Shetland

Acknowledgements

This article is based on a short paper the author presented at the 2018 Textile and Place conference at Manchester School of Art, and on elements of the project report, Shetland Hand Knitting: Value and Change (2018). The author would like to thank the ShetlandPeerieMakkers task force, coordinator, and tutors for all their help with her research.

Additional information

Funding

This article draws on interview data from a 2016–17 study of Shetland hand knitting. The drafting and revision of the article was supported by the Carnegie Trust under a 2018 Research Incentive Grant.

Notes on contributors

Siún Carden

Siún Carden is a research fellow in the Centre for Rural Creativity, University of the Highlands and Islands, Shetland, UK. Her research interests include textiles, maker cultures, skill, and the creative economy in rural contexts. Her relevant publications include (2014) “Cable Crossings: The Aran Jumper as Myth and Merchandise,” Costume 48 (2): 260–275 and (2019) “Producing and Consuming ‘Maker Cultures’: Shetland Knitting as Production, Process and Product,” Making Futures 5: 1–11.