Thank you for your very wise reply. I doubt if more than a very, very few shepherds intentionally inflict harm on their sheep (who are, after all, their livelihood, and mistreated animals are not as productive/profitable), if only because of the profit motive, and because most people are raised by their parents *not* to be cruel and abusive. I would much rather wear wool - a sustainable, flame-retardant, breathable fiber - than a petrochemical garment. Also, perhaps the writer/PETA are not aware of the heavy amount of chemicals (petrochemicals, at that!) used to fertilise/prevent disease and weeds in cotton raising (some of which are harmful to wildlife)? Or the quantities of bleach (not precisely a mild chemical!) used to whiten cotton fibers to a snowy state?

I love that the Istex ball-winder gives each ball a little squeeze. Just like any knitter would! Squish-testing!

Thank you for posting your travelogue! The Highlands are IMHO always beautiful. Even in the rain (what a wonderful excuse to duck into a tea shop and have a nice hot cuppa with a biscuit). How fascinating to see teasels being used in finishing! I have a thousand pine cones in my yard - I wonder if the green ones would work? I love the sheep photos. Lexie is adorable, even if she is slightly chicken. The shot of the wren's woolly nest is also adorable. That was obviously a bird with good taste! Have you ever considered taking 12 (or more?) of what you consider to be the best of your photos and combining them into a calendar, to help fund your Shetland research?

No wonder you weren't able to see everything at Cunningsburgh. What an incredible wealth of fiber art talent there is in those tiny islands. I am in awe at the petit point Viking. The crochet natural-colored jumper almost makes me want to crochet (hmm, should graph out a similar pattern for knitting - but I would not want to infringe on the crocheter's copyright). Thank you so much for posting all of this. Armchair travel is better than not at all.

It is amazing to contemplate the quantity of wool that goes through that building! I am glad to see the Wool Board's interest in quality, and hope it translates into a better profit for the hard-working shepherds.