Local designer to curate Shetland Wool Week

New Shetland Wool Week curator Donna Smith.

Renowned local knitwear designer Donna Smith is to take over as curator for the world-famous Shetland Wool Week festival.

Ms Smith, who was Shetland Wool Week patron in 2015, will start a two-year term as curator from this year’s event.

She designed the now famous Baa-ble hat in 2015 – her first ever written knitting pattern – and now produces and hand dyes her own Shetland wool, Langsoond Yarn.

Ms Smith is also a popular knitting tutor and speaker with a wealth of experience in dyeing, Fair Isle and Shetland lace knitting.

Shetland Amenity Trust chief executive Hazel Sutherland said it was “a pleasure to have Donna onboard”.

“She comes with a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of Shetland’s textile heritage, and we’re looking forward to working closely with her to develop this year’s programme.”

Ms Smith said she was “honoured” to have been asked to curate the programme for Shetland Wool Week.

“Having been involved with the festival since it started, as both a tutor and a patron, SWW has
played a significant role in my life over the years.

“It has been interesting to see it change and grow and I am looking forward to bringing forward my ideas to help shape it so that it continues to appeal to a broad audience,” she added.

Shetland Wool Week is now in its fourteenth year and will run from 23rd September to 1st October 2023.

The next wool week patron and hat pattern will be announced in April and the programme will be released later in the summer.