The National Trust of Scotland has two houses to let on the island of Fair Isle, population: 65. The two properties are available at a very reasonable rate of only £300. Per year. Although the National Trust does not promise a job, it points out that there are skill shortages in construction and knitting. The knitting cooperative apparently has more orders than it can fill. (You can listen to the entire story and find a link to the original advertisement on NPR’s web site.)

(Alas, the deadline for applications has passed. That NPR story led to an avalanche of interest from the United States, mostly from knitters.)

This story reminded me that my friend Wendy made money on the side in her younger days doing hand knitting. I wonder how many people bought a lovely English hand-knitted sweater imagining it having been created by a sweet old lady in a rocking chair, when in fact it was done by a fifteen-year-old girl with a shaved head and an attitude while sitting in front of the telly watching Dallas.