0

Your Cart is Empty

Patterns
Our shop
Kits
  • New! Celebrate this chapter of Ysolda.com as it comes to an end with a special, personalised bundle of our best products, hand-picked by our team just for you.

  • sundries
    gift 2019
  • Subscribe to our Colourwork Club for a gift that lasts well into the new year. Your recipient will receive a new colourwork kit in Janurary, February and March

  • Last minute shopping? Gift cards are delivered electronically - forward the email or print it for your recipient. A range of amounts are available and gift cards don't expire.

  • The Vintage Shetland Project, an interview with Susan Crawford

    August 07, 2015

    I’ve run into Susan Crawford in Shetland a few times over the last few years, and every time she’s been hurrying to or from the Shetland archive (or roping me into testing her renditions of vintage knitting projects — like a woolly swim suit in the Atlantic in October). I managed to pry a little bit about what she was working on out of her each time, but I was delighted to get a chance to really pick her brain about it in an interview. 

    It turns out that Susan spent all of that time in the archive poring over vintage knitting projects, transcribing their stitch patterns and construction stitch by stitch and hunting for any related documentary evidence or living people who could provide context for the project. That investigation has culminated in a book of reproduction multi-size patterns plus the story of each garment and the people who knitted, wore, loved and mended them. 

    A note: I went back and forth on whether to format this as audio or video. It’s definitely not a documentary (although if Susan has any energy left after the huge book project I’d love to watch one about vintage Shetland knitting!) and you could just listen to it, but in the end I decided video was worth it because it’s a chance to see a couple of the pieces from the collection.  

    You can find more information about the book and the crowdfunding campaign at www.vintageshetlandproject.pubslush.com

     



    Also in Journal

    The deep shadow sock heel displayed across a finished and unfinished sock.
    Deep Shadow Heel Tutorial

    September 25, 2025

    The Deep Shadow sock heel is a beginner friendly short row sock heel that provides a more anatomical fit like a heel flap and gusset.
    Read More
    A white woman holds a cake of yarn with a lit birthday candle in it.
    20 Years of Ysolda Knitting Patterns: Part 2

    June 23, 2025

    June 2025 marks twenty years of designing knitting patterns for Ysolda. In this blog post she picks her favourite from each year for 2015 to 2025,
    Read More
    A white woman holds a cake of yarn with a lit birthday candle in it.
    20 Years of Ysolda Knitting Patterns: Part 1

    June 19, 2025

    June 2025 marks twenty years of designing knitting patterns for Ysolda. In this blog post she picks her favourite from each year for 2005 to 2014.
    Read More