SHILASDAIR - THE GAELIC FOR 'FLAG IRIS', a historical Highland dyeplant - is committed not just to excellence without harming the environment, but to the excellence that comes from using the very best of Scottish fleece in combination with natural dyeing techniques to produce a yarn worthy of the very best in design.
Eva Fleg Lambert set up a studio on the Isle of Skye in 1971. Always inspired by a love of colour, a six month study tour of North and West Africa further increased her textile vocabulary which, matched with a committment to small scale environmentally friendly farming, culminated in the formation of Shilasdair.
Using her own soft-fleeced flock of sheep as a nucleus, knitting yarn was either handspun by Tony, or commission-spun by Jamieson's in Shetland.
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...the very best of Scottish fleece in combination with natural dyeing techniques... The natural colour range of the Gotland, Shetland and Merino sheep - from deep chocolate brown through tans and greys to silver and white, was extended by the use of locally collected traditional plant dyes of the Highlands and Islands, augmented by the ancient dyes of indigo, madder, cochineal and logwood in carefully prepared recipes by Eva on her and Tony's croft.
The result is a glorious spectrum of yarn which is vibrant yet beautifully soft.
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