Published: 21 May 2015

At Sumburgh with Elizabeth

Sumburgh Lighthouse Sumburgh Head's visitor attraction opened in 2014 but I had not had a chance to visit. Some catch up time with my friend, Elizabeth Johnston, was long overdue so we arranged to go together. Our leisurely lunch at Spiggie Hotel meant we did not have much time to enjoy the inside attractions but, having bought our tickets, we can re-use them as often as we wish over the summer. 

Elizabeth and I first met when we started Secondary school, but never realised then that we shared an interest in knitting. We lost touch when we left school and it was well over 20 years before for our paths crossed again. We never arranged to meet, just found ourselves in the same places at the same time. One time we got talking about knitting. Elizabeth was a member of Shetland Guild of Spinners, Dyers and Weavers and they had been invited to send a spinner, lace knitter and Fair Isle knitter to demonstrate these skills in America. Elizabeth would spin and Ann Williamson would do lace knitting but no-one had volunteered to do Fair Isle. Elizabeth asked if I knitted Fair Isle, and invited me to join them on this trip, in July 1998.

I will always be grateful to Elizabeth for easing me into the world of knitting. I learned to spin - but don't practice - and joined the Guild. I would always have knitted but it is more enjoyable and energising as I meet more and more people who share a common interest.

It was good to spend the day with Elizabeth and I especially enjoyed the time we spent in the early evening watching the birds, and the constant changes of light.