Thimbleanna » Shilasdair

Shilasdair

February 27, 2009 on 2:40 am | In Travel | 49 Comments

Ooops! I sort of fell off of the blog wagon this week. Earlier in the week I received an e-mail that detailed some reduced air fares, which, when combined with the boredom of a very gray late February, made me start to think of potential summer vacations. Unfortunately, I mis-read the rates and thought they were a much better deal than they actually were, so I guess I won’t be flying anywhere this summer. ;-(

I had to console myself by looking through some pictures from our last trip to Scotland. And, just in case you’re a knitter and you happen to be planning a trip to Scotland this summer (the dollar is doing much better against the GBP now than it was last fall!) I thought you might like to see a fun knitterly place to visit.

This is Shilasdair on the Isle of Skye. Shilasdair is a small yarn studio known for their yarn dying. The shop is in a pretty little rock building, in a very small village with spectacular views of the water, off of the northern end of the Isle of Skye. We were greeted by the owner, Eva. (Oops, I didn’t get a picture, but there’s one on her website.)

Above, you can see the gorgeous view just beyond the shop.

Just to the left of the shop is the dye garden where Eva grows plants that make the dyes. All of the dyes are natural but surprisingly, the yarn does not come from the Isle of Skye (despite all the grazing sheep!) Eva said that Isle of Skye wool is very coarse and 95% of it is shipped to I-can’t-remember-where in central Europe to be used in things like mattresses.

Most of my pictures from the dye room didn’t turn out very well. It’s a pretty small room, but there are giant dye vats and places to hang the yarn to dry. Eva said that all of their dye colors come from 3 plants and 1 insect and combinations of those 4 items. Bowls containing the three plant samples are in the bottom left-hand corner of the above picture with the dye vats. The insect, cochineal, is shown in the right-hand picture, above. (As always, all pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.) Eva explained the process to us and it was very interesting. I think TheManoftheHouse even had a good time.

Some pictures of the pretty yarn. I bought some blue yarn and I spent a long time debating whether to get wool or cotton. I got cotton and after we drove away, I wanted to slap myself upside the head — who goes to Scotland to buy cotton yarn? In my defense, I think I was overcome by visual stimulation and couldn’t think straight. The colors were sooooo beautiful. And to make matters worse, I’m thinking the yarn I ended up with wasn’t even dyed by Eva. She does sell some yarns that are dyed elsewhere. So, I struck out on two counts! (But don’t tell TheManoftheHouse — I’m sure he was wondering why it was so hard for me to figure out what yarn I wanted. There was a gorgeous red yarn that almost sucked me in too.)

These were some sweaters for sale hanging on the wall. Some were for sale and some were available in kits. You could also have a sweater made in a different size than the samples shown.

This is a picture of the shop while standing with my back to the front door, shown in the first picture of this post. This one room is it…the whole shop. In the middle of the wall on the right (just in front of that blue-green sweater hanging up so high) is the door that leads to the dying room.

The shop may be small, but it was very inspiring and well worth the trip. (The only way it could have been better would have been if there were quilts. Oh, and maybe some guy in a kilt!) And besides, the drive to get there and the scenery are spectacular. Lots of little one lane roads and sheepies everywhere! I hope you get to go there someday!

We’re having high winds and thunderstorms as I type, which is just creepy in February. I hope the weather is better where you are!

XOXO,
Anna

49 Comments

Well, Anna, thank you for that little trip. I haven’t been anywhere nearly so interesting in some time. :) Seriously, it looks lovely and I’d love to visit it for real, but failing that – I did enjoy your tour.

Comment by Elaine/MuddlingThrough — February 27, 2009 #
Must. Learn. To. Knit. That yarn is to dye for. Get it? Ok. I’m sorry. The yarn really is beautiful, though. The little shop, and all the sheep, and the green luscious views…it’s like a real live fairy tale. I think I need to visit Scotland.

Take care, Anna~
Cassie

Comment by Cassie — February 27, 2009 #
So beautiful! I love all the colors,and the stone building . . . amazing that she dyes from just 4 items! Stay dry/warm :)

Comment by Amy @ parkcitygirl — February 27, 2009 #
Great place! It reminds me of a place in Peru we visited. Hand dyed yarns with organic materials. Warm, beautiful, colorful sweaters. The only exception is they were made from Llama wool.

Comment by Jackie — February 27, 2009 #
I don’t knit that much but I still want to go there! I have a beef about the way they advertise airfares. They should show the total round trip with taxes etc included. Showing the one way base price just gets our hopes up for nothing.

Comment by joyce — February 27, 2009 #
What a nice way to start my morning with a little “virtual” trip to Scotland! Great photos and since I’m just starting to knit – they make me drool! I can understand why you would be overwhelmed. Thanks Anna!

Comment by Janet — February 27, 2009 #
Sounds like a magical trip….Someday maybe I will go there!! :)
I just love the colors…so vibrant.

Comment by Sarah — February 27, 2009 #
oh anna.
scotland. yum.

what a cute place.
loved the pics.

i really enjoyed your post.
even if there wasn’t a man in a kilt.
tehehe.

Comment by rachel — February 27, 2009 #
Anna, it looks just wonderful. The scenery and the yarns. It would be so fun to take a trip there. To bad I am flunking my sock class, my poster will be up everywhere telling the owners not to let me in. LOL

Comment by Jewels — February 27, 2009 #
Sounds like a little bit of knitting heaven!

Comment by Carolyn — February 27, 2009 #
What a wonderful place to visit.

Comment by Gina — February 27, 2009 #
Oh Anna the yarn is so beautiful and the shop so nice. It’s not hard to imagine you had a hard time choosing. Too bad yarn isn’t made in big jelly rolls so we could have a little of each!
Have a great weekend.

Comment by Shawn — February 27, 2009 #
It looks like a fabulous shop! In a fabulous setting! No wonder you want to go back. I’d love to go, too. One day.

Comment by MichelleB — February 27, 2009 #
Fascinating stuff. Yup, you really dropped the ball by buying cotton yarn, in Scotland, no less! But I believe you on the visual overload! Love that pic of the sheep on the road! There’s a postcard, you can buy in Ireland, of a car creeping along a narrow road in the Irish countryside, behind a flock of sheep. The caption says “Rush hour…” or some such waggery! So, what did you make from your purchases at Shilidair? Or are you hoarding it for your old age?!

Comment by molly — February 27, 2009 #
What a lovely visit to Scotland you enjoyed. Your story of being overwhelmed by all the yarn probably echoes what each one of us would feel if we were standing there. Even though you opted for the cotton yarn, you still have a lovely fiber souvenir of your trip.

Comment by Junie Moon — February 27, 2009 #
oh, wow! what gorgeous pics and what a wonderful knitterly shop! what an awesome trip to have memories of forever…?

Comment by t — February 27, 2009 #
What beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing! I would have been so nervous to even ask to take photos of the shop, but you captured it very nicely…I even felt, a little bit, like I was there! Thanks for letting us explore with you!

What are you going to make with your yarn? :)

Comment by Diana — February 27, 2009 #
So beautiful! Your photographs are gorgeous. Now I want to go!

Comment by Dawn Huntington — February 27, 2009 #
I was craving my little Thimbleanna fix! What were you thinking not to get some wool? LOL. Mesmerized by all that eye candy, for sure.

Comment by Susan — February 27, 2009 #
Oh and the winds have really picked up speed while I am reading your post but the rain was blown away. Thanks for sending it up my way.

Comment by Susan — February 27, 2009 #
A very interesting blog. I just love all the pictures you show and the colors are magnificant!

Comment by Teresa — February 27, 2009 #
Ooohh…thank you for those pics! I love Scotland SO MUCH…never been to the Isle of Skye but have had the fun of seeing sheep in the road.

Comment by elizabeth — February 27, 2009 #
Oh I’d love to go to Skye! The yarn shop looks gorgeous!

Lucy x

Comment by Lucy Locket-Pocket — February 27, 2009 #
Love this post! You should come to lower Alabama now, where it’s 70 degrees and warm. March 22-23 is the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival — a juried art fair in a quaint village just as the azaleas are blooming.

Comment by deirdre — February 27, 2009 #
I want to learn to knit soooo bad. Maybe one day! I love your blog.

Comment by valerie — February 27, 2009 #
Herr Becher doesn’t know it yet, but he just volunteered to wear a kilt for ‘Clementine’. *insert cackle here*

Is it wrong to want to pinch those sheepies? Squish my fingers right up in their wooly-bits and give ‘em a good mauling? ‘Cuz they really fell down on the job, letting you leave with cotton yarn… gah! yeah, it must’ve been the fumes…

Comment by Camilla — February 27, 2009 #
Every day I wake up and hope that that is what my traffic jam will look like.

Comment by Vallen — February 28, 2009 #
Well, I know I won’t have any extra money for much travel this summer, because I just found out that I get to teach an online class this summer for the college where I adjunct….you know what that means….something big is going to break soon, and we’ll have to pay big bucks to fix it!!

I visited Scotland when I was in college, and LOVED it. Someday I’m going back. And, now I know that the Isle of Skye has to be part of the visit.

Comment by Caroline — February 28, 2009 #
Beautiful photos Miss Anna.Those sheepy were running before you turn them into a pair of socks. lololol

Comment by Sharon — February 28, 2009 #
We had the most beautiful spring day yesterday but today has resorted to being grey and miserable again, boo hoo!!!
Thanks so much for these photos Anna, they are lovely. Those yarns are just delicious, almost making me want to knit (!). I have always, always wanted to visit the Isle of Skye too, one day …
Have a great weekend
Kimx

Comment by kim — February 28, 2009 #
Maybe you could take a series of quick little day trips. That could be fun.

Comment by Blond Duck — February 28, 2009 #
Thank you for the tour!
Beautiful photos of a beautiful scenery!
And the yarn… all those beautiful colours…yummy!

Comment by May Kristin — February 28, 2009 #
That looked like a great place! I would love to go to Scotland one day.
I know what you mean about being overwhelmed with the decision making process. Before I became a knitter, I was in England and someone brought me to a Rowan store. I knew I wanted to learn how to knit and would someday, but instead of buying their yarn or a kit, I bought a sweater made of non-Rowan yarn, in a size that was way too big. I never wore the sweater. Talk about a missed opportunity!!

Comment by Beth — February 28, 2009 #
wow, your photos are amazing. I love Scotland – it has been too long since I have been there – that is where my hubby is from (his name is wee Gordon Mckerrell!!!!!!!!)
You could always make a trip out here – it’s nice and warm!

Comment by Cathy — March 1, 2009 #
I’ve never been to Skye though I have travelled along the Road to the Isles and stood on the quay at Mallaig and looked across the water. One day perhaps I’ll make it all the way :) The little shop looks wonderful and the colours of those yarns are just mouthwatering.

Comment by Rowan — March 1, 2009 #
Hi Anna, what a quaint little shop!! I’m afraid the noguyinakilt would be a deal-breaker for me though. Let me know if they ever get one!

Comment by Penny — March 1, 2009 #
Wow now that’s a cool place to visit and I agree lots of eye candy there. I always find it hard to make a decision when I’m only visiting a place once – because I know I’ll never get back I tend to freeze up with what should I buy, LOL. You know you just might miss something and have a V8 moment, LOL.

Hugs – Karen

Comment by Karen — March 1, 2009 #
Wow thanks for the revisit. I so enjoyed your vacation and it was nice to see more of it.

Comment by Judyj — March 1, 2009 #
Isn’t Scotland gorgeous!!! Would love to go back over again soon and will write down the info on the shop – better than a candy store!

FarmerBoy and I sell our sheeps wool to the local co-op and it is used for carpets that are made in the UK! Most of the wool that is used here in Aran sweaters is imported…we are known for being lamb producers, as in Easter Dinner!!! Since moving here I have become a fountain of knowledge regarding Sheep!!! LOL

Comment by Anne Marie — March 1, 2009 #
While I wish you would have posted some photos of men in kilts, this is a great post! I love seeing the dye garden – that’s like my perfect combo of things!

Also, the cute fat sheeps adorable running off through the streets.

Comment by finnyknits — March 1, 2009 #
Ah, sheepies. I do like them. Wish you could come back and see us again – us as well as the sheep. I could get our son to wear his kilt!

Comment by Isabelle — March 1, 2009 #
OMGosh the colors of the yarn at the yarn shop are gorgeous! Look at those wooly sheepies in the middle of the road! What a fun place to visit. :)

Comment by tattingchic — March 1, 2009 #
I’m drooling over the pictures wishing I was in that shop…I just added this on my list of places to visit, hopefully my lifetime.

Comment by Judy — March 2, 2009 #
an amazing post… love the pictures…. I hope you get away someplace this year, I here these stayvacations are rather super…

Comment by suziesews — March 2, 2009 #
Holy sheep! Your vacation is my vacation! Thanks for the little trip… I really needed it! I’m so glad you posted more pics and words about your trip!

Comment by happy zombie — March 2, 2009 #
better to find out the rates weren’t as good as you thought BEFORE you purchased the tickets rather than after, right?

i wanna go visit scotland. it looks gorgeous. love the last photo. :)

Comment by amandajean — March 2, 2009 #
My son is traveling to Scotland in a week so perhaps I had better give him yarn money and hope he can get it for me. I’m a newbie / learning knitter and as with everything I try, I tend to obsess about getting all the goods that goes with whatever I’m doing. My knitting plans include only simple, make that VERY simple, endeavors to begin with.

Comment by Connie W — March 3, 2009 #
I have wool from Shilasdair! My mum brought from their trip to Skye – I have yet to make anything with it. I do love Skye – and the shop looks great and also it would appear you managed to get some dry weather – all the better on the west coast of Scotland!

Comment by Di — March 4, 2009 #
Thank you for the trip to Scotland once again. I’m afraid if I went there, I would never leave! It is absolutely gorgeous country. I love the quilt shop, too. Good photography!

Comment by Nan — March 6, 2009 #