Exhibitions are an essential aspect of our work to provide access to the Collection. They are held annually at the Böd focussing on a theme related to Shetland Textiles, and change every year.
Our main exhibition this year celebrates the union of the home-based machine and hand knitter.
Since the fifties home based knitting machines were common in Shetland homes. Many a Shetlander remembers falling asleep to the background noise of the knitting machine. The knitters were both men and women, and even children who would knit for pocket money. The introduction of these machines back in the thirties helped to preserve and expand traditional Shetland knitting.
Machine knitting gave women the opportunity to be business women with many employing family and neighbours to help produce garments which could be sold privately and not through the local merchants.
Our other exhibition showcases the work of the late Bella Tait from Bigton, 1928 – 2000
Like many women of her generation she knitted all her life and produced all types of knitwear, but her love was for knitted lace.
Her family kindly donated all her work, together with her patterns and her makkin belt to the museum for which we are very grateful.
A Selection of lace scarves.
Lace jumper and Fair isle beret, gloves and a hap.
Bella’s patterns
Loom Room
We have the last working loom from Adies of Voe, together with some weaving and a taatit rug
After languishing in a corner of the workroom for 3 years due to Covid restrictions, the Muckle Gravit [big scarf] is back. Do come along and add a few rows to it.
