"Daniel Day-Lewis placed a call to request a Staithes-style knit garment: Exploring the continued allure of the gansey jumper"
Traditional Fisherman's Sweater: The Enduring Legacy of the Gansey
Jonny Nance, a Cornish boat-builder, has a deep affection for the gansey, a traditional fisherman's sweater. He attributes its durability and practicality to its tight-fitting design, which prevents it from catching on nets or work equipment during sea voyages. Moreover, its lack of pockets and buttons eliminates snags and enhances mobility, allowing the wearer to work comfortably at sea.
In his spare time, Nance constructs replicas of Victorian fishing vessels, embodying a tribute to the seafaring traditions prevalent in his hometown of St Ives. According to him, the gansey embodies a similar narrative, as both the vessel and the sweater are remnants of the region's maritime heritage.
Originating in the Channel Islands in the 17th century, ganseys are knitted from tightly spun five-ply worsted wool, often still containing lanolin for water resistance. The sweater's design provides protection against wind, rain, salt spray, and sun, with chunky patterning on the yoke offering additional warmth.
By the 19th century, ganseys had become popular across the British Isles. One popular story claims that Lord Nelson recommended them to the Admiralty. Today, Nance purchases his ganseys from Sea Dogs, which offers a variety of motifs. He previously aimed to obtain a St Ives Double Twist but ultimately settled for a Polperro Musician when the intricate pattern stopped being produced.
Mary Wright, author of "Cornish Guernseys and Knit-frocks," notes that ganseys were made to last. Sunlight and saltwater gradually faded the deep indigo dye of the initial knitting, eventually resulting in a range of hues reminiscent of the Cornish sea in various moods and seasons. Wright herself embarked on a journey to knit her first gansey after discovering a lack of written instructions in the 1960s. She subsequently cataloged over two dozen distinct patterns unique to seafaring villages across Cornwall, including the Port Isaac Double Rope, the Bude Ladder, the Lizard Lattice, and the Polperro Laughing Boy.
Older fishermen shared stories with Wright about the integral pockets in ganseys designed to hold watches, which functioned better when warm. They also recalled the custom of knitting initials into the armpits. One tale narrates a fisherman whose gansey was stolen, only to be recovered a year later when his grandmother saw a man wearing it and called the police. Upon checking the armpits, the police discovered his initials, leading them to identify the culprit. It was said that a drowned fisherman's village of origin could be deduced by examining the pattern of his gansey.
Knitting ganseys became an essential source of income for women whose husbands were at sea or employed abroad. They knitted everywhere – on doorsteps, at the well, on the harbor wall – fostering communal discussions and walks while they worked. A carved wooden sheath served as a holder for the working needle, allowing faster knitting.
In East Anglia, groups of women followed seasonal migrations of herring, known as the herring girls. Their main duties involved gutting and salting the fish. However, they also knitted while they waited for the trawlers to bring in the day's catch. Each village evolved its own adaptations of patterns, incorporating flowerpot stitch, ploughed furrow, and heart designs.
The Sheringham Museum in Norfolk showcases an archive of images of local fishermen by celebrated photographer Olive Edis. Known for their high quality, the images captured the intricate patterns of the ganseys, allowing the museum's knitters to produce miniature reproductions. The women of Sheringham were renowned for their fine knitting, with 12 stitches per inch, enabling them to create more elaborate patterns to protect against the cold east wind.
Modern Gansey designs are often reproduced on knitting machines, but Lesley Berry of Flamborough in East Yorkshire insists that a true gansey must be hand-knitted. She employs experienced knitters to produce ganseys in a variety of north-coast patterns, all made to measure and priced at around £500 each. Famous clientele include Daniel Day-Lewis, who commissionned Flamborough to create a Staithes-pattern gansey from an old, moth-eaten sweater belonging to his father and later ordered a Filey for a movie role. He expressed gratitude to each maker by sending handwritten letters.
Following his appreciation for traditional fishing vessels, Jonny Nance also cherishes ganseys, knitted garments that mirror the maritime heritage of St Ives. These home-and-garden items, like the vessel replicas, hold historical significance as they originated in the Channel Islands and were popularized across the British Isles. In the realm of fashion-and-beauty, ganseys offer timeless designs, such as the St Ives Double Twist or the Polperro Musician, celebrated for their chunky patterning and protection against the elements.
