Another new brand here at End, Jamieson’s are a family owned business, which has specialised in using wool from the native Shetland sheep for 5 generations. The family are dedicated to the survival of this unique fibre and as each new generation joins the business, this promotion becomes their life’s ambition.
The business was started in the early 1890’s by Robert Jamieson. Over the next century, each generation of Jamieson brought their own skills and ideas – Andrew (Robert’s son) became one of the islands first wool brokers, buying the raw wool clip from the crofters and shipping it to Scotland’s mainland for processing. At the time, Shetland wool was believed to be too fragile to be spun on industrial machinery so it was blended with wool from coarser breeds. The very best blend of ‘Shetland’ yarn produced was only about 60% pure. This blended yarn never fulfilled the family’s dream of 100% pure Shetland knitwear; grown, spun and knitted in the Shetland Isles.
The next generation, Bertie (Andrew’s son) expanded the business in 1952 by opening a retail outlet in Lerwick, Shetland’s capital town. This was the start of the Jamieson Knitwear brand. Original Jamieson’s sweaters were hand-knitted by home workers using blended ‘Shetland yarn. Chasing the life-long dream, Bertie, and his son Peter began to experiment with the spinning of pure Shetland yarn, their efforts were successful and 100% pure Shetland yarn was produced in 1978.
In 1981, they opened Jamieson’s Spinning, Shetland’s only commercial woollen mill. This unique mill, built in Sandness, completes all the stages of yarn production under one roof. The Jamieson family were among the first islanders to utilise computerised knitting technology. Combining this technology with the 100% pure Shetland yarn allows the highly complex traditional Fair Isle patterns to be re-created in an increasing range of both traditional and vibrant contemporary colours.
Today Jamieson’s highly exclusive knits are only available in a handful of places, and we’re very pleased to say that End are one of those. Head over to the Jamieson’s Section now for a proper look.