Day 1: Arrive Lerwick — Shetland Textile Museum
Fly to Sumburgh and transfer to Lerwick. Afternoon at the Shetland Textile Museum, housed in the beautifully restored Böd of Gremista—an 18th-century fishing booth. The collection spans Shetland’s textile history: Fair Isle jumpers, delicate lace shawls, and traditional haps (everyday shawls). Evening walk through Lerwick’s independent shops, including the Shetland Times Bookshop for knitting pattern books and Ninian for contemporary Shetland knitwear. Overnight Lerwick.
Day 2: Shetland Wool & Natural Dyeing Workshop
Morning visit to Jamieson’s of Shetland wool mill, established in the 1890s and still spinning Shetland wool—the fiber that makes Fair Isle knitting possible. Tour the mill to see raw fleece transformed into yarn, and shop from their enormous color range (over 200 shades). Afternoon natural dyeing workshop with a local textile artist, using Shetland plants, lichens, and seaweed to create your own palette of colors on Shetland wool. Take home your dyed skeins. Overnight Lerwick.
Day 3: Fair Isle — The Island That Named a Technique
Weather-dependent: flight or ferry to Fair Isle, the remote island midway between Shetland and Orkney that gave its name to the distinctive stranded colorwork technique now practiced worldwide. Population: approximately 55. Visit the Fair Isle Bird Observatory (reopened 2024) and meet island knitters who explain the origins of the patterns—OXO, star, and peerie (small) motifs that echo the island’s landscape. The Fair Isle knitwear cooperative sells authentic hand-knitted pieces made on this very island. Return to Lerwick in the evening. Overnight Lerwick.
Day 4: Unst Lace & Northern Studios
Journey north to Unst, Shetland’s northernmost island. Visit the Unst Heritage Centre, which preserves the tradition of ‘fine lace’ knitting—introduced in the 19th century and so fine that entire shawls could be drawn through a wedding ring. Meet a master lace knitter who demonstrates the technique using gossamer-thin single-ply Shetland yarn. Afternoon in Hoswick, a south mainland village with a strong craft tradition, visiting individual knitters’ studios. The Hoswick Visitor Centre has excellent displays on Shetland’s textile heritage and the famous ‘Hoswick Waistcoat.’ Overnight Lerwick.
Day 5: Knitting Morning & Departure
Morning knitting circle at a Lerwick café with local knitters—bring your project or start one with Shetland wool purchased on the trip. Last chance to visit the Shetland Museum shop for genuine Shetland knitwear and books. Transfer to Sumburgh Airport for departure.
