Review of Marie Wallin's Shetland Pattern Collection

Image courtesy of Marie Wallin

All things Shetland are currently on trend in the knitting world what with this year's successful Shetland Wool Week, Susan Crawford's eagerly-awaited Vintage Shetland Project, and now the publication of British former Rowan Head Designer Marie Wallin's sumptuous Shetland pattern collection.

When working on Shetland Wallin collaborated with Jamison's of Shetland and used their Spindrift yarn for many of her designs. As ever, Wallin's book is superbly-photographed in locations around Shetland, once again provoking serious lifestyle envy in the reader!

Says Wallin in the book's foreword:

"Shetland is a collection of twelve beautiful Fair Isle designs inspired by the people and wild beauty of this most northerly part of Scotland.  The wool from the small and hardy Shetland sheep is warm and hardwearing, softening with wash and wear, just like a favourite piece of tweed ... because of my internet in the history of Fair Isle knitting it is important for me to use a Shetland wool which is graded, scoured, blended, carded, dyed and spun on Shetland too."

The eight garments and four accessory patterns are all beautifully designed, with their intricate colour work providing a challenge for intermediate knitters. A Woolly Yarn's favourite patterns in the collection are:

Bressay, a jumper with a deep Fair Isle yoke design knitted in the round.

Image courtesy of Marie Wallin

Fetlar, described as a simple Fair Isle scarf knitted in the round that's perfect for the novice Fair Isle Knitter.

Image courtesy of Marie Wallin

Scalloway Tam, a hat named after the old capital of the Sheltnad Mainland. The design has a traditional striped ribbed band.

Image courtesy of Marie Wallin

Unst, a fitted short Fair Isle cardigan, photographed on the Isle of Unst.

Image courtesy of Marie Wallin

Samphey, named after an uninhabited Shetland isle, this jumper has a more complex Fair Isle design.

Image courtesy of Marie Wallin

All the Fair Isle patterns are charted and these may be difficult to start of with for the inexperienced Fair Isle knitter to follow. Colour charts, rather than black and white, may have been more useful. That, however, is the drawback of what is overall a marvellous collection that, as with Wallin's previous books, is a delight to look through and admire the photography.

View all twelve of Shetland's patterns on Ravelry here. The book costs £17.99 plus P&P and is available to buy direct from Marie Wallin's website. Thanks to Wallin for the review copy - all opinions are A Woolly Yarn's own.

Want more Marie Wallin stories? Read these past blog posts:

• Review Of Marie Wallin's North Sea Collection
• Marie Wallin's Springtime Six Collection Reviewed
• First Self-Published Book For Marie Wallin