We’ve been in Miami for a week….hard to believe since Bob does not usually sit still that long! While the weather has not been quite tropical, it’s a far cry more pleasant than what is going on along the East Coast farther north of here! But I can’t help thinking about this year’s winter in parts of the world where violent weather is the norm. And that brings me to Scotland….
Various tapestry weavers in New England, along with tapestry weavers from Ireland, Australia and Denmark, are– at this very moment– sending off small works themed “Postcards from Home” to an address in Scotland. The tapestries will have a little tour of northern Europe, starting with a show at Northlight Studio, in Stromness in the Orkney Islands off Scotland in late March.
Our tapestries may take a ride like this on the Stromness ferry.
Roughly a decade ago I became acquainted with Elizabeth Lovick from Stromness, and ordered a Ronaldsay fleece from her. At the time she wasn’t certain if the fleece would ever make it to me in its unwashed state, but it did, and I had a happy few months spinning yarn for a fisherman’s gansey for our younger son Chris.
Since then Stromness has fascinated me. I’m intrigued that now a little piece of my work is headed over there!
Here is a video taken just a month ago on Fair Isle in the Shetlands. This makes me appreciate that not all sheep are….well…..sheep! These are really tough animals, not easily intimidated!–certainly not by violent weather! Tommy Hyndman took this footage and had this to say about the weather:
Fair Isle, Shetland – January 10th, 2015 – Gale rages to hurricane level as seen about the Isle on land and sea. Peak storm levels were at night, but it was still very outrageous weather, with strong gusts of winds almost knocking me off my feet several times, especially in the north of the Isle.
Fair Isle has a population of 60 people, 1200 sheep, 20,000 puffins and a few very rare birds. Hmmm….is that ‘rare birds’ of the avian type?…I’m thinking all 60 human inhabitants cold easily be ‘rare birds.’
I’ve always said that I’d never want to go sailing off England or any of these islands in the North Atlantic, even in summer!–though certainly the rewards for such hardship would be great!
I can’t help thinking of the nonchalant manner in which the Scottish talk about weather. Even Archie, who has hardly spent any time on the water compared to me, is a far hardier sailor than I’ll ever be, just by virtue of being Scottish! I can hear him saying any one of the well worn phrases about weather, such as this one: “In Scotland there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.”
So when this recent article by Nigel Calder crossed my path, I had to laugh. What timing! Just when our little tapestries go winging across the pond to Scotland to get on a ferry boat to Stromness, one of the most respected circumnavigators has written an article about the very area.
His photos from the trip are beautiful, as you can see below, and his tale is compelling. Check it out!
