Whether the Weather be Fine

Fishing was a cold and difficult livelihood. The brutal waves and winds of the North Sea were enough to test even the hardest of men. To gain some comfort whilst out at the sea fishermen needed clothing that was warm. One item of which was the gansey, a woollen jumper knitted by the women of the family of North Sea fishermen. Ganseys were worn very close to the body to prevent them from interfering with the fishermen’s daily tasks. The jumper’s tightly knitted nature meant they were both water and windproof. The jumpers thick densely knitted top allowed for extra warmth and was welcomed on a particularly cold day.

Ganseys were made to be reversible so that areas of high wear, such as the elbows, could be turned around.  The lower halves of the arms could be unravelled and re-knitted as they wore out. As a result of the harsh conditions of the North Sea fishermen were often lost to the sea. In order for their bodies to be identified some fishermen would knit mistakes or their initials into their jumpers, allowing for their bodies to be identified. Ganseys were made to be tight fitting and there was little chance of them unravelling at sea, resulting in bodies often being found in.

A considerable amount of time and pride would go into knitting a gansey, particularly a ‘Sunday Best’. The traditional colour was navy, however over time every North Sea fishing community began to produce its own pattern for gansey knitting, based around motifs related to the sea and their work, for example herringbones, ropes, ladders and nets. Gansey patterns were passed down from mother to daughter and gained new variations with each generation. The art of knitting on five needles however was gradually lost over time with young people moving away from fishing villages due to decreasing trade available. In some small fishing communities this classic item is still evident, although it will now cost a small fortune to purchase one as so few people remain who have the skills necessary to knit them.

The design of the gansey was thought to be so weather proof that they were worn during the Napoleonic Wars. Nelson adopted the gansey as part of the Royal Navy’s uniform and as a result they were worn at the Battle of Trafalgar.

For further information go to - http://www.manorhouse.clara.net/knitwear/ganseys.htm