caithness & sutherland – scotland
Rich craft traditions rooted in the rugged North Highland landscape
caithness & sutherland – scotland
Many fisherwomen were accomplished knitters and produced ganseys (jumpers)that were works of art.
caithness & sutherland – scotland
Any spare time was employed IN knitting, whether waiting to deal with the herring catch on the quayside or standing at the door chatting at home.
FEATURED ARTISANS
Timepsan Knitting Group WAS formed in 2005 to keep this traditional knitting heritage connected to the sea alive and share these traditions with people of all ages. The group meets weekly at Timespan in Helmsdale, a once-thriving herring fishing port and one of the busiest in Scotland.
“The fishermen’s sweater, known as Guernsey Sweater (or in dialect – gansey), developed over 400 years ago, during the reign of Elizabeth 1 when wool was first imported from England, and can be traced along Britain’s coastlines 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.”
- Timespan Knitting Group