FIELD TO FABRIC
FIELD
I started with Shetland sheep in 2016. Shetland’s are a hardy breed, which can withstand the Scottish climate, they are excellent mothers and lamb outdoors under blackthorn hedgerows. They are versatile foragers, browsers and grazers. There are over 30 markings evocatively described in the Shetland dialect as: bersugget; katmoget; and snaelit. In 2017, I purchased a prize winning Shetland Grimester tup one of only 59 Shetland Sheep Society registered breeding tups in the UK. In stewardship with the natural environment, I am slowly and selectively building my flock specifically for fine, luxuriously soft fleece known as ‘kindly wool’.
FLEECE
Shetland fleece contain layers of biography – the touch, crimp and fineness of fibres – made visible. As well as the 30 markings, there are 11 main Shetland colours my fleeces ranges from white, musket, fawn, moorit to Shetland black. I have the fleece Micron tested to inform both the breeding strategy and to ensure consistency and quality. Traceability is important; my sheep are registered with the Shetland Sheep Society and are included in their Flock book, which means I can identify exactly what sheep the fleece and ultimately the yarn and fabric is derived from.
YARN
Initially it took me three years to gather enough wool to process – as a relatively small breeder and producer – it was challenging to find a small-scale spinning mill in Scotland to convert the fleece into fine yarn whilst maintaining the intrinsic characteristics: light; lustrous; breathable; strong; and durable. The process entails washing, carding and spinning the yarn in the natural Shetland colour palette: rich shades of grey; cream; ecru; fawn; moorit; brown; black; and white. I also blended some of the fleece with 30% Scottish-sourced Alpaca, resulting in a 70% Shetland 30% Alpaca blend yarn.
FABRIC
As a textile designer and weaver, my fabrics incorporate organic forms – often using one structure such as honeycomb – in different scales. I love working with the natural range of shades changing the colours on the loom whilst weaving, which is reminiscent of the ever-changing landscape, weather patterns and quality of light. Weaving for me is a contemplative practice akin in some ways to meditation: the repetition; rhythm; and relaxation. My design approach explores the power of conscious raising and making through the intimate relationship between – nature and vernacular materials – weaving nature’s wisdom.
HOPE
I’m hopeful for a future where old ways – through the restoration of equitable human and non-human relations – can inspire innovation. Bio-regional textiles, decentralised networks and circular approaches can enhance and maintain diversity. The beauty of self-renewing cycles is that materials come from the land and reflect the richness of the soil. New alternative models can be co-produced in collaboration with designers, makers and farmers to sustain the future for rural economies. My ambition is to create a future from the past, ‘innovation from tradition’ creating new value from one of the oldest materials, wool.
