|
|
 |
Your source for authentic
hand-knitted Ganseys
plus a range of quality, traditional
knitwear
and Armor Lux pure cotton Breton shirts
Flamborough Marine :
Flamborough Marine commenced trading in
1981. Initially the stock consisted of
readily available machine-knitted sweaters
of a traditional design (for example,
Guernseys, Alderneys and Bretons). As an
antique shop was also run from the same
premises we began to receive inquiries for
‘antique sweaters’, that is, the
hand-knitted ganseys which were once so much
a feature of the fishing communities, but
which had become generally unavailable. We
contacted a long-time resident of
Flamborough, Nora Woodhouse, who knitted our
first ganseys (from memory) in several
different North-East Coast patterns. She had
originally been taught to knit ganseys
before the war by her fisherman father after
her mother had been drowned at Robin Hood’s
Bay. From Nora’s ganseys we were able to
make charts of the patterns which,
beforehand, had never normally been written
down but, rather, were passed on by word of
mouth.
Shown at left:
A Robin Hood's Bay Gansey worn by a
Victorian Fisherman |
|
Our idea was two-fold. First to offer an
outlet for the sale of ganseys once we had
recruited knitters; and second, to package a
kit containing the wool, needles, and our
own charts so that the art of gansey
knitting could be spread even more widely
and not limited to those within our
immediate vicinity. As the first step in
this plan we advertised for experienced
knitters who might be interested in knitting
with five steel needles and showed them what
we wanted. Of the hundred initial replies
only ten decided to persevere. We supplied
these first ten with needles, wool, charts
and instructions and began to build up a
stock of ganseys. During the succeeding
years some knitters have dropped out and
others have taken their places. One thing
however has remained constant and that is
the premises in Flamborough where the
various ganseys are displayed. We believe
that we offer the only outlet for the
authentic finished product. Without this
outlet the knitters would have nowhere to
sell their wares and the art of gansey
knitting (for, although a craft, the work
itself is so intricate as to be rightly
called an art form) would again be in danger
of disappearing.
Shown at right:
A Flamborough Gansey |
 |
|
 |
A recent article in "Classic
Boat" magazine, which featured our Ganseys,
resulted in queries and orders from around
the world. In Bielefeld, Germany Iris Heyer
noticed the article, showed it to her
husband, and we soon received a telephone
call from Thomas Heyer, to order a
Flamborough Gansey. A few weeks after it
arrived, Thomas' brother Hans saw the Gansey
and was hooked! Hans ordered a Filey Gansey.
And here they are, proudly wearing their
Ganseys at the Rum-Regatta in Flensburg, a Regatta for traditional Sailing
boats which is held each year in the North
of Germany. The Ganseys proved to
be immensely useful, fighting cold
temperatures and wind forces up to 6 on the
Beaufort scale!
In the photograph, taken by Iris, the Filey
Gansey on the left is worn by Hans, and, at
right the Flamborough Gansey worn by Thomas.
(The photograph was kindly supplied by Hans,
who added: "It is great that you took the
effort in reviving this old knitting craft
and our admiration goes to the knitters for
their skills!") |
|
One of the most prominent features on
the East Coast of England, Flamborough Head
juts out five miles into the North Sea. It
is the most northerly chalk outcrop and the
largest sea-bird breeding colony in England.
The village, in the centre of the headland,
is exposed on three sides to the sea and to
the constant wind. It was to help protect
against these elements that the Ganseys were
first produced, hundreds of years ago. Then
they were fashioned, as they still are
today, by the knitters of Flamborough
Marine, entirely in one piece using five
steel needles.
Bempton Cliffs at Flamborough Head, site of
the Royal Society for the Protection of
Birds reserve. The chalk cliffs here are a
sheer 300 feet drop into the North Sea. |
|
|
The print at right, showing a fisherman
running through the streets of a small
northern fishing village shouting "All hands
man the Life-Boat!" is dated 26 November
1887.
The fisherman is clearly wearing a Gansey
which, upon closer inspection, is almost
certainly that of the Cullercoats Rocket
Brigade.
Over a century later, the same pattern can
be knitted, and in the same method,
all-in-one piece, on five needles, in the
finest quality 5-ply worsted wool.
If the fisherman returned today, he would
find a few things still familiar in
Flamborough, and much that was alien. The
fishing boats (known locally as "cobles")
would still be instantly recognizable, as
would Flamborough lighthouse and, if he
walked into the premises of Flamborough
Marine, upon my soul, he would find a match
for his own Gansey.
|
 |
Download our catalogue :
Download the current
Flamborough Marine catalogue in Adobe PDF format
[file size 1.5 mb].
To download, right click
the following link:
PDF CATALOGUE
and
select [Windows]: "SAVE
TARGET AS".
Please note that, to be viewed, the
catalogue requires Adobe Acrobat Reader
(available as a free download from Adobe.com).
|
