Traditional Gansey

Traditional Gansey

Traditional fisherman’s guernsey (sweater), in dark navy blue wool, hand knitted in the round at a fine gauge. The front and back are patterned with purl stitch ladders and diamonds while the shoulders have a double moss stitch panel, repeated on the top of the sleeves. The sleeves are shaped with fine fashioning marks either side of a false seam stitch. There are underarm gussets to allow for freedom of movement. The lower parts of the sleeves and cuffs are a slightly different shade of dark navy blue, showing they have been re-knitted due to wear.

The swing tag on the garment says ‘Black Fishermans Bridle (sic) Shirt. Made in Whinnyfold’, a small fishing village near Peterhead, Scotland. This item may have been exhibited, fragment from a catalogue (?) Ganseys 35. Fisherman’s “bridal shirt”, date unknown, (Paton & Baldwin). Wool, knitted in the round, a seamless garment. Made in Whinnyfold.

Traditional Fair Isle Sweater

Traditional Fair Isle Sweater

Hand knitted sweater in eight colours of wool on a white ground. Patons archive hand written swing tag label says ‘Traditional Fair Isle Sweater’. The body is knitted in the round with the sleeves knitted down from the armholes. Each pattern band is different although the colours are repeated up the garment. The neck fastens at the back with 3 small buttons on a moss stitch band.

This sweater featured in a lecture on Design in Knitting, given by James Norbury to the Wool Education Society in 1952 - there is a printed & illustrated booklet with the text of the lecture in the Guild collection.  A photo of the sweater has the caption “Traditional Fair Isle jumper, knitted in hand-spun, vegetable-dyed wool.  The Spanish Armada Cross is prominent in each large design, and the patterns change all the way up the garment.” No pattern based on this sweater has yet been identified, and it was possibly felt to be too complicated for P&B’s customers to knit a sweater with different designs in each band. 

Shetland pullover

Shetland pullover

Colour patterned pullover hand knitted in Shetland using ten colours of wool. Knitted in the round with K2P2 rib, neck and armhole trims. Patons archive hand written label in italic script says ‘Shetland Man’s Pullover, This is a modern design incorporating the “Seed of Life” & “Star of Glory” patterns’.

This design was issued as a pattern in 1952 by the Daily Herald, a national newspaper. (Pattern not available.)  The description in the article offering the pattern says that the pattern was copied from a Shetland original:  "To find fresh ideas for his designs, Norbury, the Herald and T.V. knitter, makes regular trips to knitting centres here and on the Continent.  His latest discovery is [this] authentic Fair Isle pattern...  This design has been knitted in the Shetland Islands for over 100 years.  Norbury first saw it when he judged the famous annual Shetland knitting competition in Lerwick recently.  He brought the pattern back to London and worked out an easy-to-follow pattern chart."  The model for the pullover is named as Michael Howard, apparently a famous radio comedian at the time.

Norbury shortened the pullover, to be more in line with 1950s men's fashions.  He also modified the construction method - the original Shetland pullover is knitted in the round, but in the leaflet the front and back are to be knitted separately, with seams at the sides. But the colours of the original are copied exactly, as far as we can tell from the names of the yarn [Patons Fair Isle Fingering]: five shades of brown, with navy, dark green, yellow, carrot and ruby.  

Shetland handknit pullover

Shetland handknit pullover

Hand knitted in the round pullover, V neck in four shades of natural Shetland wool. Pattern bands alternate from a deep K1 P1 rib. Neck and armholes have K1 P1 rib bands. Manufacturer’s label ‘Shetland Woollen Industries Association. Shetland Hand Knit’ sewn in back neck. Patons archive hand written swing tag label says “Mans Shetland V Neck Slipover Brown & Natural”

This sweater featured in a lecture on Design in Knitting, given by James Norbury to the Wool Education Society in 1952 - there is a printed & illustrated booklet with the text of the lecture in the Guild collection.  The caption to the photo of the pullover is “Shetland interpretation of Fair Isle knitting in a pullover in which soft natural colours have been used.  Only two designs have been introduced, thus breaking the Fair Isle tradition of design.”  The stranded knitting designs were used in a P&B pattern leaflet (probably also in 1952), with Roger Moore as the model, though the colours are very different and the designs are only used on the top half of the pullover, while the lower half is in plain rib. 

Hand knitted Aran sweater

Hand knitted Aran sweater

Wool sweater in cream, all over patterned with cables and travelling stitches. High ribbed rolled neckband. Knitted flat and seamed. Patons archive hand written swing tag attached says ‘Aran sweater. Kilmurvey family’ and fabric label stitched inside says ‘Kilmurvey’.

Sweater with Diamond Motifs

Heavy weight hand knitted pure wool sweater in black, dark green and cream yarn, uneven, possibly hand spun. Knitted in the round in with colour pattern diamonds and stripes with a shawl colour. Sleeves appear to be knitted from the sleeve head. Patons archive hand written swing tag says ‘Sweater knitted by the Semiahoo Red Indian Tribe’; these would now be known as a First Nation people.

Bohus Sweater

A Bohus product sweater, round neck, finely knitted in light natural wool and seven colours, front patterned in colour work and textured stitches, plain back, and sleeves and deep rib to body. Knitted flat and seamed.

Label in back neck ‘Bohus STICKNING’, a company which existed in Sweden to produce hand knitted garments as a poverty reduction measure. Patons archive hand written swing tag label says “Sweater Bohus Knitting”. The design is named ‘Red Edge’. Unworn.

Sweater with V-neck & corded belt

Sweater with v-neck & corded belt

Yellow wool top with drawstring at waist. This garment is constructed from knitting and crochet; front and back being knitted in stocking stich broken by vertical lines of open stitches. There is a deep border of filet crochet around the waist and sleeves with an insertion of filet crochet across the shoulder line from the neck to the dolman sleeves. The twisted cord tie belt is finished with crochet bobbles. The bobbles are crochet egg shapes.  Patons archive hand written swing tag label says “Ladies V Neck Lace Jumper with Corded Belt with Bobbles (Gold)”. 

Sweater with square neck & corded belt

Sweater with square neck & corded belt

Green wool top with lace panelling. The sleeves are dolman, being made in the same piece as the front and back, which is knitted in one piece from the bottom of the front over the shoulders and down the back. The bottom edge, sleeves and neck are trimmed with knitted borders worked in moss stitch. The twisted cord belt is finished with four pom-poms. Patons archive hand written swing tag label says “Ladies Square Necked Lace Panel Jumper with Corded Belt and Bobbles (Green)”

Lace Sweater with Short Sleeves

Lace sweater with short sleeves

Delicate Shetland lace sweater. With a three button closure at the back neck. White lace knitted top described on its Patons archive hand written swing tag as ‘Shetland lace jumper’ this adult sized garment was knitted flat and seamed. The yarn is white pure wool, 2-ply, possibly hand spun.

Sweater with striped sleeves

Sweater with Striped Sleeves

A hand knitted skating outfit consisting of sweater, skirt, hat and stockings in green, black and white wool. The sweater combines a textured front with sleeves in narrow stripes of all three colours. The texture is also on the back of the sweater. The neck is trimmed with knitted bobbles.

The garment was knitted flat and seamed. The bottom edge is finished with a deep hem in k1p1 rib, turned up and stitched in place. Patons archive hand written swing tag label says “Ladies Skating Outfit”. This sweater ties all the items together in that the plain green section has textural features (like the stockings) and the sleeves feature white and green stripes (like the top of the hat).