nielanell nielanell

Shetland knitwear, but not as you know it

About us

Our island knitwear design studio

Nielanell was established in Hoswick, in 2008, by textile designer Niela Nell Kalra.

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Visit Nielanell

In person & virtually

We are based in Hoswick, a small village in the South Mainland of Shetland. Visit the studio shop or make a virtual trip!

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Meet the designer

From lawyer to knitwear designer

A change of career brought Niela Nell Kalra to Shetland, and into the world of knitwear.

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Our modern Shetland jumpers

A woman with jaw length grey hair wears a blue and grey fair isle patterned jumper over a loose denim dress. She turns to face the camera. In the background, the sea at Hoswick stretches out towards Levenwick headland. On the shore a young woman with a black labrador and tow women with a rusty fair isle jumper and a pale blue and pale grey fair isle jumper are milling about. All three on the beach are wearing beanie hats.

Smookie jumper

£385.00
 
One black and one white woman on the grass at Hoswick, Shetland with the sea behind. They are both wearing the same cowl-necked contemporary merino jumper. A contemporary Shetland sweater in navy and off white with an abstract pattern.

rani jumper

£395.00
 
marlet long jumper

marlet long jumper

£285.00
 

Ethos & Sustainability

Our sustainable Scottish knitwear is designed for wearing, not for trend following

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Nielanell Shetland knitwear is individually made and hand-finished by local craftspeople.

The Shetland Islands, Scotland's northmost archipelago, are home to a rich knitting heritage.

Knitting is still part of daily life here. Working in her own contemporary style, designer Niela Nell Kalra is part of Shetland’s vibrant textile community.

Contemporary knitwear

From new takes on traditional Shetland knitwear, to original and unusual garments

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Capes: classic Nielanell knitwear

marlet cape

marlet cape

£210.00
 
A woman with jaw length silver grey hair stands in a rustic, whitewashed stone building in Hoswick, Shetland. She holds a purple walking stick up in the air with right right hand and laughs. She is wearing a finely knitted piece of contemporary Scottish knitwear - a cape in charcoal and soft white. underneath she wears a navy t-shirt and a loose indigo denim dress. She wears patent navy pointy dealer boots.

byre cape

£335.00
 
A white woman with jaw length grey hair stands in a rustic, whitewashed stone building. She has a purple walking stick in her right hand. She wears a finely knitted cape in navy and fawn in an irregular dot pattern, over a denim dress.

ebb-stanes cape

£210.00
 
A black woman with a shaved head sits in the window of a ruined croft house, Hoswick, Shetland. She looks to her right, towards the sun. She is wearing a contemporary scottish cape in charcoal and off white over a grey woollen dress.

byre capelet

£205.00
 
rigg cape

rigg cape

£165.00
 

Journal

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Shetland knitwear spotting on the BBC

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A guide to some of the Fair Isle knitwear featured as wild swimmers Jules Wilson Nimmo and Greg Hemphill come to Shetland.

Christmas evening in Hoswick

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Join us in Hoswick on Wednesday 4 December, as we host open studios, Christmas shopping and festivities with our neighbours.

Hairst in Hoswick

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Autumn colour around our village in the South Mainland of Shetland.

Shetland Arts & Crafts Association Fair

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We'll be up in Lerwick Friday 1 to Sunday 3 November for the huge and inspiring annual fair for Shetland's makers.

The design process

Niela Nell Kalra, founder of Nielanell, on her approach to knitwear design and making

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Our bestselling knitwear collections

Smookie

Rani

Ebb-stanes

Rigg

What you say...

NOT fast fashion but quality lifetime wear.

Nielanell customer, 2021

I wear one of your jackets when I want to feel powerful

Julie, 2021

I so very much appreciate the design aspect of each line - unique and clearly well considered

Nielanell customer, 2021

VISIT US

In winter, the studio shop is open every Saturday 10am-4pm.

We can also open by appointment, and from May to October the studio is open daily: full opening times.

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