SPMA Congress 28-30 May 2021 - Talk accepted

 The Society for Post Medieval Archaeology have accepted a talk by Andrew at the 2021 Congress being presented online this year.

The talk will describe suggestions made by Dr William Brownrigg or Whitehaven to prevent the spread of contagious diseases in 1771.

Brownrigg delivered a paper to the Royal Society in 1748 on how to improve salt making in the UK.

The paper will describe the similarities about Brownrigg's suggestions in the context of the present Covid19 pandemic and measures put in place by the government to halt transmission.

For further information - https://pmac21.com/

Fair Isle Sweater unveiled Jan 2021

 Can now unveil the latest Fair Isle sweater knitted by Annelise.  

It's in a pattern book called the 'Vintage Shetland Project' by Susan Crawford.

Crawford transcribed the pattern from an original sweater in the Shetland Museum, which was knitted by a Doris Hunter for her fiance Ralph Patterson in 1921. They married and during WWII Ralph was captured and spent time as a POW in Japan, with his sweater.  

See link to the Shetland Museum archive.  Shetland Museum and Archives::Allover Shetland patterned jumper

"Salt on the Solway" webinar 29th October 2020

 Sign up for a talk describing the history and archaeology of salt making on the shores of the Solway Firth.

Talks by Andrew Fielding and John Pickin. 

Solway Coast AONB and the Solway Firth Partnership.

Web links to video recording of the talks https://youtu.be/ILZiMclUJ4c

Preparing to cut a Steek on Fair Isle sweater 'Ralph'

 This is the back of a Fair Isle sweater currently being knitted by Annelise. It is knitted in the round with the arm holes and 'v'-neck created by cutting a steek.

The pattern, Ralph' is interpreted by Susan Crawford in her book the Vintage Shetland Project from a sweater in the Shetland Museum archive. The original sweater was knitted by Doris Hunter for Ralph Patterson. It ended up with Ralph in a Japanese POW camp in Hong Kong during World War II.

The body pattern is knitted in the round, leaving a column of stitches to cut to make openings for the neck and the sleeves. The each side of the edge where the cut will be made is strengthened with a running stich.

Inside view showing the stranded knitting of the Fair Isle pattern.

Outside view before cutting.

The arm hole steeks after cutting. Now ready to pick up stitches and knit down the sleeves.

IPAISAL newsletter El Alfoli Issue 27 2020

 The latest issue of El Alfolí is out! Request your free copy at salinasdeinterio@gmail.com

Features an interview with Andrew Fielding.ith Andrew Fielding of Ecosal-UK.

2020 update

2020 has seen us established in a new home in Nw Cumbria, saying farewell to Cheshire. Leaving behind the salt sites of Cheshire we now have three historic salt sites on our new doorstep - Silloth, Crosscanonby and Whitehaven Pier. We have had more grant applications turned down, though one for a community project would have proved difficult to deliver during ethical Covid-19 pandemic we now find ourselves in at the present time. However, one application seems likely to be approved, more about this later in the year. A big conference organised to take place in Sutherland by the Scape Trust has been cancelled, but we look forward to being able to gather there some time next year when it is save to do so.

Talk to the Geologists' Association

Talk on Salt Making in the NW of England to the annual meeting of the Geologists' Association at Manchester University, Saturday 19th October, 2019.