In an age of technology, wool is back – taking advantage of that very technology to open up new products and new markets for yarn spun from traditional breeds of sheep. Visitors from islands along the old Norse sea-routes have come to Orkney to show what they are doing and find out about Orkney’s own developments.

They’re spread out over three rooms in the Old Library in Laing Street, at tables where you can sit down with them or stand and watch as they show the different types of yarn and the techniques of knitting and weaving the various patterns.

You can discover at first hand about the revival of patterned sweaters in Faroe, and see a cloak woven in Norse style from the fleece of North Atlantic sheep. You can hear how knitting is providing skilled jobs for young people in the Aran Islands and Rathlin, and about the role of computer-aided design and manufacture in Ireland.

You can see how Orkney weavers and designers are using the wool from North Ronaldsay and Boreray sheep. You can see wool from the North Ronaldsay spinning mill with its brand label A Yarn from North Ronaldsay, with a range of high-quality yarns, batts, rovings and felt.

You can see needle-felted and handwoven work from Helen Galland of Woolly Wally & Rinansay Weavings and hear about her plans for upholstery which will use all the material from the mill.

You can hear how Hilary Grant is producing blankets and bed-throws in Birsay, in a small factory setting, with finishing in traditional ways. You can also hear how Kirsteen Stewart is using wool as part of her range of fashion and interior design.

It’s a unique opportunity to hear about the qualities of the wool from native sheep and see the new directions into which it is developing.

Organised by the North Ronaldsay Trust and supported by the OIC Nordic Atlantic Fund

Numbers are limited to 50, and booking is essential; tickets £12.
A cup of tea or coffee will be provided when you feel like a break.

Cover image : © Norse cloak (vararfeldur) by Meg Rodger from The Birlinn Yarn company