Rachel Challoner

I am a knitter based in Fair Isle, Shetland, the U.K.'s most remote, inhabited island. I run a 25-acre croft and breed pure Shetland sheep, whose fleeces I have spun into wool that I can then sell. I work alone and specialise in Fair Isle knitwear.

Q&A

What craft do you work with?

I specialise in Fair Isle knitting – moving to Fair Isle eight years ago it was almost inevitable that I become involved in the isle’s famed knitwear industry! I started as a ‘finisher’ – someone who hand-seams, grafts and hand-knits the knitted component parts of a garment or accessory to produce a finished item. After two years as a finisher I was taught to use the knitting machine and, since then, have been practising my craft in both disciplines.

What inspires you to work with this craft?

With only 42 residents and fewer and fewer people producing knitwear actually in the isle, as opposed to having it made by others outwith the isle, it is vital that this traditional craft is continued here and not allowed to die out. Whilst ‘Fair Isle’ knitwear is seen every winter in stores ranging from High Street to high fashion, only the knitwear produced here in the isle can be truly appreciated as ‘Fair Isle’ knitwear. Unlike Harris Tweed, for example, we have no Act of Parliament to govern the use of the term ‘Fair Isle knitwear’ which dilutes the understanding and appreciation of the work that goes into producing our prized garments. Fair Isle knitwear produced in the isle has its own ‘rules’ and traditions, which differ even from the ‘Fair Isle’ knitwear produced in our near neighbour, Shetland. where some of the world’s most talented ‘Fair Isle’ designers and knitters live. I love that by producing Fair Isle knitwear here on my croft in Fair Isle I am carrying on a tradition that goes back generations, of knitting to provide an income and to support the croft. Although I have wool spun from my flock of pure Shetland sheep which is suitable for hand-knitting, for the knitting machine I use 100% pure Shetland wool from Jamieson’s of Shetland – the last remaining spinning mill in Shetland. With a range of over 200 colours, I am really spoilt for choice when choosing colour palettes with which to work!

How do you start your creative process?

When I’m creating a new design I usually have an idea in my head of the overall effect I’m trying to create – it may be the colours from a meadow in summer or the greys of a winter sea, or an allover pattern using particular sizes of individual motif. My design process is fairly old-school and I like to use graph paper to map out combinations of motifs to see what will work and what doesn’t. I then make swatches of the pattern using different colour combinations until I’m happy with the balance of shades. The next stage is the more technical stage and involves working out from a gauge swatch the ‘recipe’ for knitting a particular item – how many stitches to cast on, where to increase and decrease for shaping, how many rows until I reach the oxters (underarms), how many stitches I need for the ribs, and so on – this ‘paper planning’ stage is probably what I find hardest! Knitting the first prototype of a design is always trial and error and, whilst it can be rewarding when the reality matches the vision in your head, more often than not it involves a couple of trips back to the drawing board before I’m truly happy with a design!

How would you best describe your workspace and what tools could you not do without?

My workspace is the back bedroom in my house here on my croft. It is part book-library, part wool-library and, whilst not the warmest room, it gets the morning sunshine which makes it bright and an ideal place in which to work. The view is of my back garden and byre, which can be quite distracting during lambing as it becomes the ‘nursery park’ for the ewes and their new lambs! I use a Silver Reed SK280 knitting machine with an SRP 60N ribbing attachment. This is a completely manual machine – there are no automated or electronic parts, so every pass of the carriage is done by hand, every new yarn colour is added or taken out by hand, every increase and decrease has to be manually manipulated. Although it is much faster than hand knitting, it still takes time to produce an item and is a skill in its own right.