Long Thread Podcast: Hazel Tindall, Shetlander & World’s Fastest Knitter

Hazel Tindall can’t remember a time before she knew how to knit.

Hazel learned to knit when knitting for sale was the only way that women earned money, when a job outside the home in town was too far to travel. Although her mother found knitting a chore, Hazel liked it, not only knitting sweater yokes for sale but exploring yarns and designs from outside her local sphere. When knitting was work, knitters put down their needles on Sundays, but in time knitting became a pleasure rather than a job for Hazel. She started knitting every day of the week. Eventually she began selling for sale not just sweaters but also designs for sweaters, vests, gloves, hats, and other colorwork designs. Loving color, she avoids sludgy color combinations in favor of bright hues.

One member of the Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers & Dyers read about a World’s Fastest Knitter competition, and the group believed that they could do better than the current standard. Hazel was found to be the fastest knitter in the group, so off she went to the contest, winning the title. Later, she traveled to Minnesota to defend the title; to her knowledge, she hasn’t been beaten!

Links

Hazel Tindall’s website
Hazel’s patterns
Hazel’s blog
Shetland Museum & Archives
Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers & Dyers
Shetland Wool Week

This episode is brought to you by:

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