Fair Isle: The IKEA Effect-From Sea To Table To Loom

Fair Isle: The IKEA Effect - From Sea to Table to Loom

๐Ÿ”จ Fair Isle: The IKEA Effect

From sea to table to loom - when investment creates value

Fresh Mackerel Prepared Mackerel
๐ŸŸ Mackerel is best eaten when it is super-fresh. From sea to table time mere hours
Fresh
๐ŸŒŠ More Than Just Add Water
This goes a bit beyond the "just add water" approach—or even the Betty Crocker "add a fresh egg" recipe trick. With mackerel, you're fully involved. Cleaning and preparing the fish yourself is part of the ritual.

⏰ Sea to Table Timeline

๐ŸŒŠ Sea
Fresh Catch
๐Ÿ”ช Clean
Preparation
๐Ÿฝ️ Table
Mere Hours

Total participation required - no shortcuts here!

Psychology
๐Ÿ”จ THE IKEA EFFECT
In simple terms: When I'm part of the process, I value the result more—regardless of the actual outcome. So yes, I think I'm a good cook too!

๐Ÿช‘ The Psychology of Investment

IKEA Furniture: A few slabs of wood and veneer, held together by dowels and bolt locks. But I put it together—so I love it.

Investment = Increased Value Perception

Mackerel Cooking: When you clean, prepare, and cook it yourself, it becomes more than just fish - it becomes your achievement.

Perception
๐ŸŸ Peasant Food or Superfood?
MACKEREL is one of the most delicious, affordable, and abundant fish in Shetland. And yet, it's often overlooked—even scorned—as "peasant food," lumped in with lobsters. Many locals consider it too oily, too strong-flavored, too... well, fishy.

๐Ÿ† Mackerel's True Profile

๐Ÿ˜ Delicious
Most Tasty
๐Ÿ’ฐ Affordable
Great Price
๐ŸŸ Abundant
Plentiful
๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ Shetland
Local

❌ Local Perception

• Peasant food
• Lumped with lobsters
• Too oily
• Too strong-flavored
• Too fishy

✅ Long-Stay Visitors

• No such bias
• All in - scales, guts, and all
• Worth the work
• Beautiful fish
• Absolutely worth it!

But as long-stay visitors, we have no such bias. We're all in—scales, guts, and all. Yes, it takes a bit of work, but preparing this beautiful fish is absolutely worth it.
Investment
❤️ I Care When It's Mine
This is what it all comes down to: when I'm invested in the process, I care more.

"Thank you, fish(es), for giving your lives so we can sustain ours."

๐ŸŽฌ The art of mackerel preparation
"I CARE WHEN IT IS MINE -- when I am invested in the process....."
Final Dish
๐Ÿฝ️ The fruits of invested labor
Textiles
๐Ÿงถ Knitting Our Own Underwear
In the same spirit of full participation, Sarah has just begun a voluntary spinning wheel apprenticeship with a master textile artisan here on Fair Isle.
So yes... next we might literally be knitting our own underwear. Stay tuned.

๐ŸŽฏ The Ultimate IKEA Effect

⚙️

Sarah's Apprenticeship: Learning from a master textile artisan on Fair Isle

๐Ÿ‘ Sheep
Wool Source
⚙️ Spin
Wheel Work
๐Ÿงถ Yarn
Creation
๐Ÿ‘™ Underwear
Ultimate Goal!

"Next we will be literally knitting our own underwear..."

The IKEA Effect taken to its logical extreme - total self-sufficiency!

๐Ÿ”จ The Fair Isle IKEA Effect

From cleaning your own mackerel to spinning your own yarn, Fair Isle teaches the profound truth: when you're invested in the process, you care more. Investment in process creates exponential value in outcome.

๐ŸŸ ➡️ ๐Ÿ”ช ➡️ ๐Ÿฝ️ ➡️ ๐Ÿ‘ ➡️ ⚙️ ➡️ ๐Ÿงถ ➡️ ๐Ÿ‘™

From sea to table to loom to underwear - the ultimate investment journey!

Stay tuned... ๐Ÿ“บ

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