Design heights

At last... Yummy treats for your couch, or bed, or wherever, from Emma Blain of Aamos Designs (the newest addition to the J&S Cooperative). These cushions work alone as a slice of colour, or together as a bold design statement. 

In her studio in Scalloway, Emma conjures up playful contemporary handwoven textiles using bold colour, while both exploiting and honouring weaving traditions. Aamos designs were recently featured at the National Museums Scotland's 'Gifted' exhibition, which showcases the best of Scotland's creative minds.

Wool around the world

To mark the end of a lambing season and the deep breath before the wool season goes kaboom!! in June, we're offering free WorldWide postage on all online orders up to 2kilos from now until noon on Tuesday 31st May.

Wool baskets ready and waiting in the Wool Store =

 Free Worldwide Delivery on line for a week.

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Elliot Atkinson

There's something mysterious in the air. At J&S HQ we're experiencing all these funny coincidences and silly things happening. It feels a bit like the world keeps dropping us lovely things (which is good because we need some cheering up this week).

The most common of these nice things is that some of my favourite designers keep appearing in our order inbox. The latest of these is Elliot Atkinson, who conjured up the jumper above for AW2011 using Jamieson & Smith Shetland Aran (photograph by Christopher Moore). 

I'm feeling very smug about this on a whole other level, because look at my new cardigan (below), hand-knitted last week in the same yarn: Shetland Aran BSS16, which is a natural white. It's so cosy and ridiculously soft that I've not even taken it off for long enough to sew the buttons on. It may have to be surgically removed before it becomes permanently attached, or starts affecting my core body temperature. 

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Bless

Shetland Sheep make excellent mamas (another reason to love them). With only a few lambs here and there left to come, we thought it was only right that we give a little nod to all the lovely (sheep and human) mums in the world.

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enough rope

Jamieson & Smith 2 Ply Jumper Weight

shades: 26, FC41, 142, 132, 1, 75, 125, 27, 203, 47, 141, 29, 65, FC62, 5. 

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CLAIRE-ANNE O'BRIEN

 1. We've been in love with Claire-Anne O'Brien's work since we first saw her British Wool chair.

2. And look what we found on her blog!

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seaweed

Shetland Sheep spend their days ambling around the coastline eating heather and seaweed. This diet, along with the weather conditions, is what gives the wool it's lustre, fineness and bounce.  We've said this all before but we thought it was about time we paid homage to the humble seaweed (not so much the weather, that can wait for some other time... or maybe never).

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Trailing

We're a part of the lovely shiny new, first-ever, Shetland Arts and Crafts Craft Trail.

The trail is a brilliant guide to around forty craftspeople, artists and their related shops and outlets and their workshops or studios – sometimes purpose built and professional; sometimes just a corner of a house.

Some J&S friends include: Shetland Handspun (Elizabeth spends a lot of time downstairs, carefully choosing her fleeces before she does her magic making); Aamos Designs (the newest addition to the J&S Cooperative - online soon); Phatsheep Textiles (we have the crofthouse and ganzie prints as curtains in the store and love the shop); Journey Man Leather (for trusty knitting belts); Ninian/Joanna (who stock J&S rugs and put our Supreme to good use), and Paparwark Furniture (remember the trophy?).

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Lowrie sells his oo

A silly old video featuring 'The Wool Brokers' and a cartoon Oliver (bit of a giggle for the weekend).

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Warriston

Another beauty from Kate Davies. 

The Warriston uses Jamieson & Smith Shetland Aran, and the pattern will be available from Kate shortly. 

sigh...