Quernstone Knitwear is situated in the heart of the historic burgh of Stromness on the mainland of the Orkney Islands, off the north coast of Scotland.
We have been designing and making knitwear for women who enjoy comfortable, stylish clothing since the early 1990s. We have a workforce of talented knitters who produce our garments in their own homes throughout Orkney in the traditional way using domestic hand worked knitting machines and linkers. Our garments often travel from island to island as each person adds their expertise to produce the finished piece.
We use only natural fibres and source our yarns from within the United Kingdom, tapping into the rich tradition of yarn spinning in this country. We also dye our own individual colours of silk and lambswool, allowing us to make a range of knitwear which is unique to us.
Quernstone Knitwear is housed in a 1920s ice cream parlour with terrazzo flooring and mosaic signage. Here we stock a huge range of clothing, jewellery and other accessories to compliment our knitwear plus a selection of beautiful hand knitting yarns, including the rare breed North Ronaldsay wool from one of our most northerly islands. There is also a wall full of knitting and crochet books to fuel the imagination.
Just across the road is The Quernstone, our original shop. Here we stock all manner of things – gifts and stationery, toys and games, home and kitchen needs, from local and international suppliers.