Shetland Wool Cobweb Lace (1,600m/100g)

Lovers of traditional Shetland Lace simply adore this yarn, and it's been one of our best sellers for several years. Produced by Jamieson & Smith in Lerwick, it was developed with the Shetland Museum and Archives as part of the Shetland Fine Lace Project, to replicate the hand spun yarns used in the finest Shetland lace of the 1800s. Surviving examples can be found in museums today, including traditional "wedding ring" shawls - fine enough to pass through a wedding ring!

The base yarn - 1 ply (800m per 50g) cobweb weight in 100% pure Shetland Wool - is supplied in 6 natural shades, from Natural White to Shetland Black (a very dark brown), plus a bleached white, and we hand dye our colourways on all of those shades apart from the Shetland Black.

100g (2 x 50g) skeins will knit our Yvaine Shetland Stole (pictured left in Iris Under a Summer Sky) or a single 50g skein will make the Eilidh Shetland Shawl (pictured right in Deep Purple Moods). Kits can be found here - if you can't see the colour you'd like, please contact us for a custom kit order.

As a single ply yarn, it sometimes looks a little "crinkly" when it's been dyed, but this disappears when knitted. It's a delight to work with and ideal to make a real statement piece or something that will become a treasured family heirloom, like a wedding veil, christening gown or shawl. I usually work this on 3mm needles, which gives a beautiful fabric.