The Shetland Tweed Company

As many of you will know, I have my own company, The Shetland Tweed Company. This is what we have been doing recently.

The Shetland Tweed Company was set-up in partnership originally but I took it over as a sole trader in 2017 and have been working with GlobalYell to weave the fabrics since. Alexa has also been designing for the company and has been working on some beautiful fabrics which have been admired (and bought) by visitors to the studio. 

This month we have been making blankets. It has been very cold here so working with wool is A Good Thing to be doing! These blankets are a very Limited Edition - four in grey and a couple in this colourway, pictured on the loom. 

People often ask why we do not have much stock online. The reason is simply that we do not make that much stock. We handwarp and handwind spindles, and it takes us ages and ages to get the threads on the loom before we even start weaving. We like doing it this way because it means we have freedom to work with colour and pattern and structure at a considered and methodical speed. That means that we do not make lots of anything. 

In these days when mass consumerism is under investigation and people are thinking carefully about purchases and our throw-away culture, it is really good to be making beautiful things in small quantities. Using local wool is an added bonus, as is the fact that The Tweed Company is supporting the charitable aims of GlobalYell by commissioning the charity to weave the cloth. it is a win-win situation and I couldn't be happier.