Downloads / DVDs
Hazel Tindall has been knitting for over 50 years. In that time she’s developed an efficient technique which has gained her the title of ‘The World’s Fastest Knitter’. She has now made two instructional videos - "The Fine Art of Fair Isle Knitting with Shetland's Hazel Tindall" and "50 Tips from Shetland Knitters". Elizabeth Johnston was adviser for the fair isle video, and appears on "50 Tips".
Please scroll down to see short excerpts from both films. Both films are available as either downloads through Vimeo or double DVDs from retailers in Shetland - The Shetland Times Bookshop, Jamieson's of Shetland, Jamieson & Smith, Shetland Museum and Archives.
The DVDs should play worldwide but occasionally the systems do not 'talk' to each other. If you are in any doubt, the better option is to buy a download.
The Fine Art of Fair Isle Knitting
In her first 3 Hour instructional video Hazel is followed as she knits a seamless Fair Isle cardigan (Shetland Star) from start to finish.
Fair Isle Knitting with Shetland's Hazel Tindall from Hazel Tindall on Vimeo.
The DVD and download have been beautifully and professionally produced by Dave Donaldson and JJ Jamieson. Both sound and images are clear and sharp, but the film also has a wonderfully relaxed feel, enhanced throughout by the tones of Hazel’s lovely voice. I’ve already spent many happy hours knitting along with, and learning from, The Fine Art of Fair Isle Knitting, and imagine I’ll spend many more. In the final section, poet Stella Sutherland reads her wonderful piece The Allover, an insightful celebration of the “joy of creation” involved in knitting a Fair Isle garment, accompanied by beautiful images of the Shetland landscape. I can’t think of a more fitting conclusion to Hazel’s generous and inspiring film.
Hazel shares knitting tips and techniques such as -
• Casting On • Working Knit Stitch • Working Purl Stitch • Using steeks • Knitting with 2 colours • Using a knitting belt • Grafting • Using a jumper board
& lots more
The written pattern for Shetland Star can be found here.
50 Tips from Shetland Knitters
Hazel's second film, made with Elizabeth Johnston, is called "50 Tips from Shetland Knitters" and covers all a knitter needs to know from different methods of casting on to achieving the perfect finish. Please scroll down to find a list of contents and timings.
Ken, FM03 on Ravelry, wrote about "50 Tips from Shetland Knitters":
I thought you could not do better than your first DVD….but, I was totally mistaken! I binged watched it, the whole 3.5 hours in one sitting….because, honestly wanted to know the next tip. It’s was like a mini drama series….what will happen next? You and Elizabeth did a fabulous job, it seems I should have brought home bakes, or atleast gin and tonics, to the workshop. As you two made it seem like you just invited us into your living room to chat about knitting. Little did I know, it was going to be a history lesson and a technical class all wrapped in one.
What you show us in the video could never be wrote in books. As,so much just comes natural to you. From years and years of knitting, picking up tricks from the past generations, but more importantly it was from your community livelihood at one point. That can never be translated into words. You two have produced not just a video about knitting, but have videoed the oral knitting history of Shetland.
Both films are available as double DVDs from retailers in Shetland - The Shetland Times Bookshop, Jamieson's of Shetland, Jamieson & Smith, Shetland Museum and Archives.
To help you find what you want, these are the timings for the 50 Tips download:
00:03:25 tips 1-4: casting on, joining to knit in the round
00:24:56 tips 5-7: knit, purl and rib with one colour
00:33:15 tip 8: working edge stitches
00:43:58 tips 9-10: making stitches from single colour edge and steeks
00:56:11 tips 11-13: working increases and decreases
01:05:09 tips 14-16: knitting with 2 colours, catching floats, rib
01:25:56 tips 17-22: grafting, seaming, other joins
01:47:04 tips 23-26: joining yarn and changing colours
01:59:13 tips 27-29: charts/reading knitting/re-drawing charts
02:04:36 tip 30: knitting in the round with 3/4/5 needles
02:18:10 tips 31-33: casting (binding) off - different methods
02:18:03 tips 34-41: knitting belt, thumbs/pockets/heels, buttonholes, fingers, beads, picots, substituting yarn
02:53:06 tips 42-44: slipped stitches, fixing mistakes in fair isle and lace
03:03:36 tips 45-50: weaving in ends, blocking, pressing, colours
03:31:44 a brief look at the book Elizabeth has co-authored
$35 US Dollars
$30 US Dollars