About Us
Jamieson & Smith have been part of Shetland’s wool story since the 1930s, when the Smith family of Berry Farm in Scalloway began buying fleeces from local crofters. We became an incorporated business in 1951, in the 1960s we moved to our current home overlooking Lerwick harbour, where our cluster of buildings on the North Road, including our wool sheds and our renovated church, now our yarn shop, remains at the heart of our work.
In 2004, following the retirement of the Smith family, we joined with Curtis Wool Direct in Yorkshire. Today, Jamieson & Smith is still staffed by Shetlanders, operating as a standalone company where the profits from Real Shetland Wool come straight back into the islands and to the people who make it all possible, our crofters and farmers.
As Shetland Wool Brokers we purchase fleeces from over 700 crofters and farmers across the islands, transforming them into high-quality yarns, knitwear, blankets and carpets. A Trading Standards investigation in 2009 confirmed that we handle over 80% of Shetland’s annual wool clip, a responsibility we take seriously.
Shetland wool itself is something special, a natural and sustainable fibre shaped by the islands’ wild landscape. Our sheep graze the heather-covered hills and seaweed-strewn shores, producing a fleece known for its fineness, warmth and surprising strength. It is a fibre deeply linked to Shetland’s knitting heritage, perfectly suited to both lace and colourwork, and valued worldwide.
We remain one of the few wool brokers who still hand sort and grade every fleece that passes through our doors. Every product we make carries the Three Sheep Logo, your assurance that it is made from 100 per cent Real Shetland Wool from sheep born and bred on the islands.
In Shetland our company has three main areas of work:
Wool Store and Brokers
In our wool store, wool is dropped off by Shetland crofters where it is hand sorted and graded by our skilled Wool Store staff. The wool is then baled and shipped (approximately 250+ tonne a year!) to the UK mainland and on to our parent company Curtis Wool Direct who purchase the wool from us.
Our yarns are all commission spun to our requirements. We have produced yarn since the 1960s and our yarns have never been made in Shetland. Before the mid-1980s, no yarn was commercially spun in Shetland.
Shop and Online Store
In our physical shop we sell a wide range of products for knitting and textiles. Yarns from 1ply up to Aran, knitting patterns, accessories, kits and books, as well as a selection of knitwear produced by us or by local knitters which we sell on their behalf.
Our shop is a favourite destination for locals and tourists alike and we have created a welcoming space for visitors.In 2010 we founded Shetland Wool Week, which has grown into a hugely popular annual event. We are proud to be the founders of such a well known celebration of Shetland wool and textiles.
Our online store is run from within the shop and we post orders worldwide every weekday.
We also design and create patterns for hand-knitting in-house. We are fortunate to have staff who are born and raised Shetlanders, knowledgeable in traditional techniques from our heritage, and we focus on these styles in the patterns we produce. We also stock patterns from local Shetland designers whose patterns reflect our traditions.
Wholesale and Trade Orders
We offer wholesale to a select number of yarn shops who understand and appreciate the heritage of Shetland and its wool.
Our yarns are available in over 100 shops worldwide and these wholesale orders all come directly from us here in Shetland.
Through our parent company in Yorkshire we are also able to supply larger quantities of yarn for textile production.