This is a printed booklet of the official 2026 Shetland Wool Week knitting pattern, the ‘Birsie Beanny’ has been exclusively designed by Helen Robertson as the SWW Patron for 2026.
Slouchy Birsie Beanny brings together the spirit of Shetland Wool Week itself with elements drawn from Helen’s own creative journey over many years of making, designing and sharing her skills.
The patterns within the Birsie Beanny design echo different strands of Helen’s work – from her signature silver knitted tiaras to traditional Shetland lace motifs such as Liss Hols, once used by her Unst granny in her christening shawl. A heart motif from her Mariner’s Compass hat sits alongside a crown inspired by her lace tree of life designs. The slouchy shape of the hat was inspired by the style work in Stanley Cursiter’s portrait ‘The Fair Isle Jumper’ (1923).