Life LackaDaisiCal

After the Croft House Museum, it was off to Mousa, by boat. Mousa is on the east coast, about half way "down" to Sumburgh Head. Mousa is unpopulated -- it's a bird nesting area, and a seal colony makes it's home there. A 15 minute trip -- time for knitting! This is Gregory Courtney knitting away on a sock -- socks are so portable! His designs are in the Jamieson's, now Simply Shetland books. Terry is looking on in this photograph. The Mousa Broch is the best preserved example of a Pictish Broch remaining in the UK. These double-walled stone towers were built to protect the inhabitants from raiders. The Shetland coastline was at one time ringed with them - built in sight of each other to form a defensive network. Mousa Broch is 13 meters (42 feet) high and dates from the Iron Age. It has been marked with sensors that are used to periodically monitor it -- to make sure that it isn't shifting. It's amazing that they still let you climb up inside. It's qui...

It's Tuesday, July 25 -- time in Shetland is running short! We had a free morning to knit, walk, whatever you wanted. The majority were in the Long Room knitting, but as it was a beautiful morning, I was out taking photographs in the grounds of Busta House. I'll save them for a later date. After our lunch, we were off to the Croft House Museum -- a glimpse into the past -- what life on Shetland was like years ago. What a glorious view! Even though it was a warm day, the Croft itself was cool -- a peat fire was burning in the main room. A shawl was stretched out to dry. The kishie is hanging near the door, handy for trips out to the peat pile. Grinding stones are at the ready. It certainly LOOKS idyllic -- but it obviously was a hard life!

Monday, July 24 -- after a morning of knitting in the Long Room at Busta House, and a fabulous buffet lunch, we boarded our bus and off we went to Lerwick for a free afternoon. The bus took us through Lerwick to the far end.....where you could see this beautiful view -- we stopped for photos...... Next Stop - Market Square -- drop off and pick up point at 6:30 sharp for the Isleburgh Exhibition at the King Harold Hall. Don't be late because the bus won't wait. (Tickets are first come first served.) Terry and I decided to do a walk up to the Ferry Terminal....and we saw this sign........ was it just us, or does this strike you as odd? Further down the road, we found this -- yes, a Westie! Terry and I were both missing our Westies -- so we had a good visit with Rory! Confession Time -- you KNOW I'm a Jamieson's knitter....but I was on the hunt for the long double pointed needles, and I'd looked everywhere in "downtown" Lerwick, so on our "walk to the Fe...

Sunday, July 23 -- another foggy day -- but undaunted, we set off for Lerwick, where the group split in two. While one group was doing a lace knitting at the Jamieson's store, the other group were on the Seabirds and Seals Cruise . Terry and I had chosen the morning cruise -- with afternoon lace knitting....... Again, fog hampered my photographs......but if you go to the Seabirds and Seals Cruise website, you'll see some glorious photographs. The tour circles the small island of Noss which is just off of the mainland opposite Lerwick. The whole island is a Nature Reserve -- home to cliff-nesting birds like the Guillemot, Gannet and Puffin. When you take the cruise, you see it from the water....you can also go across in a small inflatable boat to walk the island. We weren't really out of Lerwick harbour when we had our first wildlife experience -- a group of old "bachelor" seals hang out at the fish processing plant...they know the sound of the Dunter III boat, and...

Well, it's day 4 of the trip - Saturday, July 22. We've settled into a routine -- up for breakfast starting at 7:30. Some of the party go out early for a run or a long walk up into the hills surrounding Busta House. Some get up early to knit before we get on the bus. Some of us sleep in!!!! Then we scurry down for breakfast, and jump on the bus at the last minute! We even learned that there was a back door on the bus -- easier to sneak on and not look like the last ones to arrive!!!! Today we headed South, down to the most Southerly point of the Shetland main island. Sumburgh Head is where the main Shetland airport is. This is also where two of the most amazing archeological finds have taken place - "Jarlshof" and "Old Scatness Broch and Iron Age Village". The fog down here is really thick this morning -- we stop in at the Airport to check the gift shop out while waiting for the "Old Scatness" dig to open. We were fortunate to have a knowledgeable ...

After the frenzied shopping at the Shetland jewelry shop, it was off to the promised land -- we were going to the Jamieson's Spinning Mill in Sandness! Could the big bus get up the driveway? Sure it could. We were greeted by Peter Jamieson himself, and his son Gary......and we split into two groups to tour the facilities. You might not know it, but Jamieson's Spinning is the ONLY spinning mill in Shetland. They purchase fleece from the local crofters, clean, card, dye, and spin it all in their mill at Sandness. In addition to knitting yarns, they weave tweed on special looms. Ordinary looms carry the yarn across the width of the loom. But these looms carry the fiber half way, then it is taken and drawn across the other half -- it's because the Shetland fiber is so fine. Please excuse my obvious lack of weaving knowledge. See all the boxes on the upper level -- full of fleece to be processed! They also machine knit sweaters on computerized Japanese knitting machines -- for d...

Today was a full day -- and to give you the full picture, I'm going to split it up into 2 (or maybe 3) parts -- we'll see how many photos I just have to share LOL! Early morning Busta Breakfast -- and as our bus didn't leave until 9:30, we had plenty of time for a walk up the road. Busta House overlooks the water, and is surrounded by green fields full of sheep! This is a typical "rural" Shetland house just up the road from Busta -- sheep at the front door, the back door, just about everywhere! The actual yard area is fenced to keep the sheep out! In July, the wild flowers were everywhere! It was gorgeous! The Busta sheep were everywhere also -- these were determined to get to the grass on the other side.....goes to show that they've heard of that old saying..... These sheep were playing King of the Castle........ Back to the bus, and off we go.....we're heading West and we stopped for a photo shot here -- this is the community of Whiteness. Our first off...