News / Knitting charity reaches £40k crowdfunder goal in under six weeks
A CHARITY set up to protect and preserve Shetland’s knitting heritage has reached its £40,000 Crowdfunding goal in less than six weeks.
Shetland’s Organisation for Knitters (SOK) only launched the appeal in mid-November but surged to its £40k goal on 16 December after donations from more than 700 people.
The charity said the money would go towards recording and safeguarding the knowledge of older knitters, supporting local makers who want to become teachers, designers or speakers and offering workshops and talks rooted in Shetland’s knitting traditions.
Local designer and tutor of Fair Isle knitting Janette Budge said the money would help the organisation keep knitting traditions “alive in so many ways”.
“I only have the knitting skills I have because of all the super skilled Shetland knitters that came before,” she said.
“Their observations of their knitting, their calculating minds, their dedication and perseverance with knitting both in Shetland lace and Fair Isle knitting is what shines through today!”
The SOK was formed earlier this year to protect and preserve Shetland’s knitting heritage by recording the knowledge held by older knitters, supporting local makers who want to teach or design and speaking publicly for accuracy in how Shetland’s knitting history and techniques are represented.
Elizabeth Williamson, a Shetland lace tutor and designer, said the money would help the SOK support a number of local knitters.
“It will allow the recording and passing on of traditional Shetland knitting skills and techniques to the younger generation of Shetland knitters,” she said.
“Local knitters will be able to access a wealth of information which previously would only have been passed on orally within families.”
The SOK offered different benefits for people who donated certain sums of money to the Crowdfunder, ranging from £5 up to £1,000.
For a £50 donation people received a copy of “Mrs. Hunter’s Shawl pattern”, while a top donation of £1,000 gave backers “all of the reward benefits” plus a “30-minute conversation with one of our trustees via phone or Zoom”.
The campaign still has two weeks to run, with a new stretch goal of £50,000.
Any further funds raised will help the organisation manage early costs as it gets started, and the SOK said the level of Crowdfunder support would strengthen its position when it applies for further funding.
Further details about the campaign can be found here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/sok-shetlands-organisation-for-knitters-1
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