Swants

"Swants?" I hear you ask dear readers - "what are they?" Well let me tell you, they are about to be the next big trend on the Stromness fashion scene. 

We came across the wonderful Swants Dance video from the talented knitting designer Stephen West via his Westknits Facebook page. Stephen has kindly provided a free Swants tutorial on his blog so you too can make your very own pair of Swants. 

As the cold November days set in we predict these will be the 'must have' item in every wardrobe this winter. By the time all our Yap and Yarners have made theirs, and are strutting their stuff down the street in Stromness, there won't be a jumper to be had at the Cats Protection or Red Cross charity shops. You may even glimpse a pair in action behind the desk here at the library! 

What we can't promise is the same standard of Swant dancing as performed by the Westknits  Fun Squad - enjoy!

We would love to see your Swants (ooh errr) so do please email your photos/ dance videos to stromness.library@orkney.gov.uk and we'll share them here - we might even show you ours too ;-) 

Folk Festival

Well the sun is shining in Stromness this morning and the organisers of the Orkney Folk Festival will be hoping it stays that way to add an extra sparkle to this year's weekend of events.


Yesterday our trip along the street to collect the papers was made through a street packed with folk - many carrying instrument cases. After the unusual quiet during the Hamnavoe's absence, it is great to see the town looking at its best in the spring sunshine and full of folk enjoying themselves.

For those of you unable to get tickets to the festival events or who have been and want to hear more from your favourite acts then why not pop into the library where we have a range of folk music cds available on loan - including many Orkney based musicians.

Wishing you all an enjoyable Folk Festival weekend in sunny Stromness.

No Knitting Tonight...

...At least not at Stromness Library.

Unfortunately due to the pretty dreadful forecast for storm force winds coming our way later today we've decided to cancel tonight's Yap and Yarn meeting.


A night at home in front of the fire with the knitting needles sounds like a good way to stay safe and warm in this weather.

 from Orkney Beachcombing https://www.facebook.com/OrkneyBeachcombing

But you can still share your knitting triumphs and disasters on our Yap and Yarn Facebook page. Share your photos, tips and advice, and we'll keep an eye out for anyone needing help.

The Kirkwall Yap and Yarn group meets next Monday 11th February and we'll meet again in Stromness on 18th February - weather permitting. You'll find a full list of dates on the Yap and Yarn page of the Orkney Library website.

Advent - 23rd December

Festive spirits may be somewhat dampened as the weather continues to make festive preparations difficult - from those trying to get home for the holidays to those looking for last minute presents or needing to stock up on essentials.

For our northerly neighbours in Shetland the dreadful weather had led to cancelled ferry sailings, and with fresh food supplies running low and increasingly empty shelves, it looked like it might be a sprout-less Christmas for many. However a certain supermarket chain, who have a store in Lerwick, came to the rescue by chartering a Hercules to fly in supplies.

photo from https://www.facebook.com/shetlandwildlife?fref=ts

Advent of course is a time of journeys, and we hope however and wherever you are travelling you will reach your destination safely. 

T.S. Eliot's poem "Journey of the Magi" seems appropriate for all travellers in this season.

‘A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a journey:
The ways deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.’ 

Stromness Spirit of the Sea

The Orkney International Science Festival may be finishing today but tomorrow sees the first day of a brand new three day series of events, activities and performances here in Stromness.

Stromness Spirit of the Sea aims to celebrate the past, present and future maritime heritage of Stromness, and will have events covering all aspects of this relationship -  including guided sea tours and heritage town walks, sea legends, music and song, arts and crafts,children's workshops, and the chance to taste fresh local food and drink.

Programmes detailing the events are available in Stromness from John Rae Newsagents, Visit Orkney, and Stromness Museum; and from Orkney Television Enterprise, Broad Street, Kirkwall. Tickets for the events are available from John Rae Newsagent in Stromness, OTE in Kirkwall or can be reserved via the website. 
The events open tomorrow (Thursday 13th September) at the South Pier, with music from Celtic/Scottish folk band Barluath at 10am, followed by the welcome address by Howie Firth at 10.30am.

Looking at the forecast for gale force winds over the next few days it seems that visitors to the events may also get to see Stromness' relationship with the sea at its most spirited! So if you find yourself seeking shelter between events then pop in to the library where we have a range of books about Orkney's maritime heritage, including the wonderful photographic record of Stromness published in 1992, Sea Haven: Stromness in the Orkney Islands by Bryce Wilson and Keith Allardyce.

Deck the Halls...

Having survived the storm unscathed, we decided to celebrate by finally breaking out the tinsel and getting festive in the Library. Thought you might like a peedie look ...



Christmas trees at the issue desk.

Christmas book display



Nativity scene in the Children's section


We're not entirely sure how he feels about it, but we just couldn't resist giving GMB a festive makeover too!

It's oh so quiet....

Sorry for the lack of posts this week, we've had problems with our internet connection over the last couple of days due to the weather.

We seem to be back online at the moment so will quickly take the opportunity to remind you all that the Reading Group will meet on Wednesday 30th of November at 7pm to discuss Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. As usual new, and old, members are very welcome to come along for an informal chat about the book, over a cup of tea or coffee. See you there- as long as we aren't blown away, struck by lightning, or snowed up in the meantime!

Author of the Month for September - Jodi Picoult

With the weather more like winter than autumn, and the nights getting longer, you can at least take pleasure in curling up with  good book. This month's author, Jodi Picoult writes novels which centre on family, relationships, and the balance of love. Picoult's riveting plots raise questions and issues for the reader, as characters face moral dilemmas, often touching on topical areas of controversy involving religion, crime and politics.

Picoult's most recent title is Sing You Home

Still Here

It got a bit windy the other night (122mph gusts - apparently that counts as a hurricane ) so we were a little nervous as to what we would find when we came into work the next day. Thankfully, other than a peedie pile of what looks like bits of ridge tile on the pavement, the library has come through unscathed.

Unhappily this cannot be said of many other libraries across the country, which face massive cuts and closure due to the current economic climate. Today is Save Our Libraries Day  and across the country folk are supporting the campaign by taking part in read-ins, mass borrowings and storytelling events.

Phil Bradley has created a great collection of retro posters to support the campaign, based on war-time information posters, including the one above. Here are some more of our favourites

All libraries improve with use so make sure you visit your local branch regularly and spread the word.