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.

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.