After having no agricultural shows for the last 2 years I was so looking forward to going the the Voe Show this year. It’s the first in the Shetland show calendar and always the first Saturday in August. What I love about it is the combination of meeting old friends, making new and admiring all the entries people throughout the community have spent time and effort on. And in the case of the crafts, knitting and cake decorating a lot of creativity! With the rough weather and long nights winter brings there’s plenty of time to let your imagination go and put your hands to good use.
For someone who loves fair isle knitwear it was a feast for the eyes and a tonic for the soul. The organisers said show entries across the board were down on previous years but it wasn’t obvious in any of the sections. I think there will be more entries next year as life returns to a more normal cycle. Some had missed the closing date or were away on a long awaited holiday. Many of these jumpers are designed in the knitters own heads and graph books but folded on the right hand side of the photo, you can see a deep pink yoke sweater designed by Barbara Cheyne and published in a Shetland Wool Adventures Journal vol.3. Next to it is a cardigan designed by Rachel Hunter which was published in the 2020 Shetland Wool Week annual. Also on the furthest cane display is the Sandison jumper designed by Hazel Tindall but in this case knit by another Shetlander.
