Nielanell

Nielanell is a Scottish knitwear label, founded in Hoswick in 2008 by textile designer Niela Nell Kalra. A change of career brought Kalra to Shetland and into the world of knitwear, and she works in her own contemporary style as part of the islands' vibrant textile community, drawing on Shetland's rich knitting heritage. Her designs range from new takes on traditional Shetland knitwear to original and unusual garments, made for wearing rather than following trends. The label makes jumpers, capes, wraps, jackets, tunics, scarves, cowls and wristwarmers with bold patterns and unusual shapes. Signature pieces include the Hoswick Paint Jumper, the Inklines Jacket, the Rani Long Cape, the Marlet Wrap and the Ebb-stanes Cowl. Every design is created in the studio in Hoswick, a small village in the South Mainland of Shetland. Knitted panels are made in very small batches by specialist knitters in mainland UK, then each garment is linked and hand-finished by the in-house team in Shetland, mostly in 100% extra-fine merino wool. The studio shop is open to visitors, and during Shetland Wool Week Nielanell hosts free events including open studio days, behind-the-scenes tours and a makkers' drop-in.