Another unique craft.

Writing about Opus Anglicanum got me thinking - people say that the standard of that needlework was unsurpassed in it's quality, and was a very in-demand product in it's day throughout Europe. When you read about the history of lace, or even the history of painting, Britain always seemed to lag behind (partly because of all our civil wars, I'm sure), and rarely produced anything to rival the continent. But there is another product that is made in Britain, a traditional, if relatively recent craft that is mirrored in finery only in Estonia. The Shetland lace shawl. There is a beautiful collection of finished pieces in the Shetland Museum, but they do not allow reproduction of their photographs, so I will have to make do with a link: shawl gallery. Aside from this, and a good 'bookmark' should I do a project based on this in the future, is the lovely supplier of patterns, books, etc., can be found here, at Heirloom Knitting. I shouldn't think it's to everyone's taste, and certainly it looks home-made, but it's a very thorough way of learning how lace patterns are formed in knitting. Good to remember for later.