What is a Gansey?
A brief explanation
Hello and welcome,
Thank you so much for your interest in this project.
My journey with the Isle of Wight Ganseys started in 2019 when I came across a photograph of a group of Victorian Ventnor Longshoremen. The pandemic put an end to my investigations, and now I feel is the right time to start up again. Especially given the news that Gansey knitting is on the Endangered Crafts Red List, it is a skill that is dying, and without new practitioners risks being lost. That is a shame considering how much interest there still is out there in the Gansey style of garment.
The issue is that they are not an easy knit, 5-ply yarn, and 2 or 2.25mm double-ended needles, it can be hard on the hands and is definitely not a quick knit. The average is approx. 150 hours for an adult-sized garment, which is why nowadays people tend to knit them in thicker yarns.
At its most basic it is a hand-knitted jumper traditionally worn by fishermen, lifeboat crews, and other sea-faring folks. They are knitted completely in the round on very small needles, with textures and patterns created by the use of the knit and purl stitches, occasionally cables are included too. Another feature of a traditional Gansey is the arm gusset, these are knitted under the arms so that when the wearer lifts their arms, the Gansey does not ride up, keeping them warm. That warmth is due to the tight gauge which creates a dense fabric that is hardwearing and keeps out the worst of the weather.
This style of garment has long been a common sight on not only our coasts but anywhere where you can find seafarers. There is a long history of Ganseys along the Eastern coast of Scotland, down to Norfolk, where the herring fleets travelled following the shoals of fish.
The photograph above is of William Lane, born in 1890, who one historian has cited as possibly being the infamous ‘Whiskers Will’ a notorious smuggler. I will be revisiting my research over the coming months and will hopefully be able to bring you the story of William Lane in a bit more detail.
A few places to visit, either online or in person, if you are interested in Ganseys are:
The Sheringham Museum in Norfolk - details here
The Scottish Fisheries Museum in Anstruther - details here
The Scottish Fisheries Museum is definitely worth a visit, I had the pleasure of visiting in September 2019. I can also highly recommend the local fish and chip shop, they were yummy, in my humble opinion nothing beats sitting on the seafront eating fish and chips. Especially as it was a lovely sunny day.
I am currently knitting a little Gansey cross-body bag to hold leaflets at an upcoming Easter event where I will be demonstrating how to work with a Shetland Knitting Belt. The photos below are not of the best quality, I will get better ones for the next update, and I will share how I made it.
Well I think that is me for this time, please share this with anyone who you think may be interested, and don’t forget to like and subscribe yourself if you want to follow my knitting and research.
Until next time,
Tracy x
Upcoming Events
As I mentioned above I will be demonstrating how to use a Shetland Knitting Belt to create a Traditional Gansey, details can be found here
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Until next time, bye for now.