Heirlooms are a family's link from its past to the present and a legacy for the future. They are special things that have personal meaning. Knitting at its best can produce lovely articles that are used today and will readily become heirlooms. The lace knitting of the Shetland Isles has created much treasured family knitwear. This book is for both the everyday and expert knitter, presenting the craft in an understandable form. It is intended as an instructive guide, and in addition to an overview of Shetalnd lace, there are helpful explanations of technique and useful information on design, including how to develop your own patterns; there are practical tips too. To finish, there is a comprehensive project section detailing typical shawls, stoles, baby jackets, rounding off with a masterpiece - an intricately patterned christening robe. Above all though, this book has a wide-ranging collection of charted patterns - classified for convenience into centres, borders and edgings - that are carefully graded to suit the learner as well as the most experienced knitter interested in creating original yet traditional knitted lace.