In April 2026, SOK: Shetland’s Organisation for Knitters welcomed more than 80 attendees to 'Mrs...
Mrs Hunter’s Shawl: Honouring Shetland Knitting Heritage Through Story and Lace
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SOK: Shetland’s Organisation for Knitters
Preserving and protecting Shetland’s living knitting heritage
SOK: Shetland’s Organisation for Knitters is dedicated to supporting local knitters, recording our living knitting heritage, and sharing accurate information grounded in local knowledge.
Our focus is on traditions that have shaped Shetland’s cultural identity for generations.
Fair Isle Knitting
Shetland Lace (Openwark)
Domestic Machine Knitting
SOK helps people engage with Shetland’s traditional knitting with relevant context, accuracy and respect.
About the Traditions
Learn about Fair Isle knitting, Shetland Lace (Openwark), domestic machine knitting, and the wider story of Shetland’s living knitting heritage.
What We Stand For
Local Knowledge
We believe public understanding of Fair Isle, Shetland lace, and the area’s domestic machine knitting skills should be grounded in the experience of the knitters who continue to practice these skills.
Guardianship
We care for Shetland’s knitting heritage by supporting the people, knowledge, and traditions that keep it alive.
Skill Transmission
SOK creates spaces where our heritage knitting skills can be shared traditionally, as well as through community learning and public outreach.
Economic Viability
SOK supports routes into paid work so more local people can learn, practise, and carry these skills forward.
Provenance
We help people understand where Shetland’s knitting traditions come from, how they have developed, and why context matters.
For Local Knitters
Information for Shetland-based knitters and those with a meaningful and ongoing connection to Shetland who want to take part in SOK’s local work, training, recordings, gatherings and other future opportunities.
Events and Online Learning
Find information about upcoming talks, workshops, online events and other public learning opportunities.
Read the latest updates from SOK
Dive deeper into knitting in the Shetland Islands and the traditions, people and places that shaped it.
How to Donate to SOK
We would like to once more thank those who donated to our initial Crowdfunder that secured the...
Mrs Hunter’s Shawl: A Return to Shetland
We are delighted to announce a pair of events hosted by SOK: Shetland's Organisation for Knitters...
Shetland knitting and the Inventory of Living Heritage in the UK
In October 2003, a UNESCO treaty was approved for the safeguarding of intangible cultural...
Follow SOK on Instagram
Follow SOK on Instagram for current updates, event news, behind-the-scenes work, and glimpses of Shetland’s living knitting heritage in practice.
Support Our Work
Help support SOK and our mission, through donations, buying from our shop or other appreciated forms of support.