Programmed to coincide with Bàta Brèagha /Bonnie Boat, Fish Exchange focused on community spirit, and with an aim of encouraging a wider appreciation of knitted craft whilst raising money for the RNLI. Deirdre Nelson called on knitters from across the globe, alongside those who were Skye-based, to knit Silver Darlings. Through collective workshops and knitting sessions, and from carefully packaged parcels, Nelson welcomed fabric fish from a host of collaborators.
These knitted Silver Darlings (or herring) were displayed around the village in Portree and auctioned in Portree’s Gathering Hall, bringing the project to an end. People bid on fish crafted by knitters from all over the world, including Ireland and South Africa. The most significant knitted contribution to the project came from a ninety-year-old lady from Wiltshire, who sent Nelson over a dozen fish to be included in the exhibition and auction, as the RNLI had been her late husband’s favourite charity.