University of St Andrews
Helmsdale, East Sutherland, Highlands of Scotland United Kingdom
58°7’12” N, 3°39’36” W
Hand Knitted Gansey Style Woollen Blanket Timespan Knitting Group
2005-2006
Wool
Scottish traditional hand-knitting methods and patterns 200 cm length x 190 cm width approx.
The Timespan Knitting Group was established in 2005, to preserve Scotland’s traditional knitting heritage related to the sea and share it with people of all ages. Over the years, the group has kept this fascinating aspect of Scotland’s heritage alive by teaching the younger generation and creating a range of gansey-themed knitwear and gifts, including cushions, teddy bear jumpers, hats, ganseys, and more. Timespan is proud to have two gansey blankets in its collection, which will be part of a new project supported by the Esmee Fairbairn Collection Fund. The project aims to provide a new perspective on climate justice, sea extractivism and exploitation, and gender and inequality. The group meets weekly at Timespan in Helmsdale. The knitters played a key role in initiating the Moray Firth Gansey Project, which ended in 2012 and contributed to the highly acclaimed Scottish Diaspora Tapestry in 2015.
A gallery of images of the exhibit item.
The group has created a wonderful artisan blanket, with each knitter contributing one square. The result is a beautiful map of patterns from the Moray Firth fishing district. The blanket can be displayed as a wall hanging, accompanied by an annotated map with the names of the ports. This hand-knitted blanket reflects the symbolic patterns found in traditional fishermen’s jumpers or ganseys. Each square depicts distinct patterns from a particular port or harbour along the Moray Firth region, from Buckie in the southeast to Helmsdale in the middle and Wick in the far north. In total, there are 35 squares representing distinct patterns from ports along the Moray Firth in East Scotland
Many fisherwomen were accomplished knitters and produced ganseys that were works of art. They would knit in their spare time, whether waiting to deal with the herring catch on the quayside or standing at the door chatting at home. In some areas, women did contract knitting of stockings to supplement the family income. A Guernsey sweater is designed for longevity, with identical patterns on the front and back enabling it to be worn both ways. If excessive wear occurred, such as around the elbows, the cuffs and sleeves could be unravelled and re-knitted – often in a different shade of yarn. Some fishermen were lucky enough to own a “Sunday best” sweater for special occasions and a lighter-weight Guernsey sweater for the summer, knitted in three or four-ply yarn in a different colour like pale grey or fawn.
The gansey was a geographically distinct and practical garment, being closely knitted, retaining the natural oil of the sheep for insulation and waterproofing on board wet boats and stormy seas. These easily recognisable patterned jumpers were worn by fishermen from the late 18th to mid-20th centuries. The fishermen’s sweater, known as the Guernsey sweater (or in dialect gansey), developed
over 400 years ago, during the reign of Elizabeth I when wool was first imported from England. It can be traced along the coastlines of Britain from the Channel Islands to the north of Scotland. Traditional Guernsey sweaters are hand-knitted in five-ply yarn and in blue (using indigo, the natural dye) to imitate the fishermen’s natural working environment of the sea and sky. They are seamless and knitted in the round using four or five double-ended steel wires or pins. Sadly, these unique designs could identify fishermen who had been washed overboard so that they could be returned home to their families for burial. The garment’s design and patterns provide insulation, water, and wind resistance because the Guernsey sweater is so tightly knitted. Wool is also highly absorbent, and because it releases water slowly, it cannot easily be washed off the wearer’s back.
The group meets regularly at Timespan in Helmsdale, which used to be a thriving herring fishing port, exporting salted herring to the West Indies, the Baltic, Ireland, and Europe, and trading locally. The harbour is still in use today for visiting yachts and for shellfish harvesting.
Author: Jacquie Aitken
References:
Brown-Reinsel, Beth. Knitting Ganseys. United States: Interweave Press Inc, 1993.
Crummy, Andrew, et al. Scottish Diaspora Tapestry. United Kingdom: Prestoungrange University Press, 2014. Harvey, Michael, and Rae Compton. Fishermen Knitting (Shire Album). United Kingdom: Shire Publications Ltd, 1988. Logan, Kathryn. Fishing for Ganseys. United Kingdom: Moray Firth Gansey Project, 2011.
Pearson, Michael. R. R. Traditional Knitting of the British Isles. United Kingdom: Esteem Press, 1980.
Thompson, Gladys. Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys & Arans. United States: Dover Publications, 1979.
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