Ep 116 - Return to Shetland with Susan Crawford

Susan Crawford joins me this week and we take a journey through the past three years since Ep55. The Vintage Shetland Project was officially published in February 2018. The culmination of 8 years of painstaking work, the book is an absolute triumph, both as an academic work, but also as Susan was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer just prior to the original planned publication date. In this episode we talk about the realisation of The Vintage Shetland Project into its paper form, and discuss a few of the amazing stories that have come out as a result of this research. This includes a hitherto forgotten knitting historian from 1930, whose work was destined to be lost forever until this project and a daring WW2 pilot who believed the Fair Isle sweaters knitted by his doting Aunt kept him safe from the Luftwaffe. Next, Susan talked about another project, connected to her diagnosis: The Knocker Jotter. Susan was very open about the details of her journey through cancer. This was a creative project that came about with members of her cancer support group, and was very empowering for the women involved. Finally we return to the present, with exciting plans for Monkley Ghyll Farm. There are naughty Shetland sheep, retreats, workshops and jam and gin on the horizon. You can find Susan at www.susancrawfordvintage.com Full shownotes and links at www.shinybees.com/116