Small patterns in Fair Isle are referred to as “peerie patterns”, but Leask has said they “would never” refer to them as “peeries”.
“That’s never been used by a Shetlander,” she said.
“A lot of Shetlanders have said they have never even heard of that.”
Leask described the misinformation in the show as “frustrating”, and said knitters locally spent a lot of their time having to clear up similar confusion with visitors to the isles.
SOK worries now that Game of Wool will have a further damaging effect on misinformation around Shetland knitting.
“The SOK are having to stand up for ourselves,” Leask said.
“The term Fair Isle is going to be lost. Fair Isle is being used when what they are making is not Fair Isle. It’s appropriation.”
And she also railed against Game of Wool as a whole, calling the first challenge – to knit a Fair Isle tank top in 12 hours – “just unrealistic”.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 