These refer to the knitters currently working in Fair Isle, although it is likely that those in Shetland will also experience similar issues.

• Training and recruitment issues – recruitment in the island itself is a challenge – whilst knitting businesses want to hire workers locally, the reality is that there are other jobs on the island that pay double what one can earn as a knitter or finisher, so it is difficult to attract workers willing to work for a comparatively low wage (see also ‘Market Issues’). Although one knitter runs knitting holidays and another used to offer internships in her knitting business, these skills are then taken off the isle by the recipients. A lack of housing means that although there are people who would like to move here with a view to joining the knitting community, there is no possibility for them to do so unless accommodation becomes available, which happens very rarely.
• Market issues – the market is generally healthy and demand for genuine Fair Isle knitwear far outstrips supply. However, one of the main challenges facing the market is making Fair Isle knitwear financially viable, and that is due to the cost of production. Whilst visitors to the isle are often willing to pay a premium for authentic knitwear, the pricing must also reflect the time, skill, and craftsmanship involved. Paying skilled knitters only the minimum wage does not reflect the true value of Fair Isle knitting, but charging more makes the final product significantly more expensive than the general market rate for knitwear.
• Supply of raw materials, allied materials and tools – the majority of wool used by Fair Isle knitters is sourced from Jamieson’s of Shetland, the spinning mill in Shetland.
• Small business issues – the main small business issue, however, is the small number of current practitioners and the lack of ability to recruit more knitters which is, in part, linked to the lack of available housing in the isle.
• Small business issues – a large percentage of knitwear is sold in-person, direct from the knitters, to visitors to the isle. Partly due to Covid and partly due to the loss of the Bird Observatory in 2019 (the isle’s largest accommodation provider), visitor numbers in recent years have been very low compared to pre-2019 figures.
• Legislative issues – the new GPSR export regulations for the EU have added further complications for small businesses, with knitters having had to pause orders to all EU countries. This limits potential sales and further impacts the viability and availability of Fair Isle knitting outside the island.
• Ageing workforce – out of the eight current professional makers, two are past retirement age and there are no younger knitters (of employment age) coming up to take their places.
• Other issues – travel on and off the isle is expensive and can be a factor that prohibits practitioners attending training or networking events as well as participating in craft fairs and suchlike. Flights and ferries can also be regularly delayed or cancelled due to weather issues. These transportation issues throughout the year mean that postage is an issue that affects both the knitters and their customers – knitters can be waiting weeks sometimes to receive essential supplies such as wool and, in a similar situation, customers can also be left waiting for long periods before their goods are even able to be dispatched from the isle.