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Helmsdale knitters meet Princess Royal 2009

THE OLD tradition of knitting fishermen's jumpers, or ganseys, is being kept alive by the ladies of the Timespan Traditional Knitting Group in Helmsdale.

The group first got together over four years ago while researching the wider history of Helmsdale's two harbours and fishing industry. The co-ordinator of the group, Joan Murray from Helmsdale, highlighted the need to preserve old gansey patterns from all the fishing ports along the Moray Firth coast.

The group, which has about a dozen members, started by knitting samples of each pattern and then proceeded to knit them together to form a large blanket or throw. The group are keen to encourage a new generation to learn these skills, and have begun to pass them on to schoolchildren in the area.

They also knit mini-ganseys for teddy bears which appeals to the wider public, as well as scarves and cushions with gansey designs.

Last year the group linked up with the Moray Firth Partnership's Hands Across the Firth project, and are currently working in partnership on the Gansey Project which is due to be launched in the near future.

It was due to their enthusiasm and knowledge of local knitting traditions that Moray Firth Partnership's Kathryn Logan invited the group to attend the Portsoy Boat Festival last week. This year's event was extended from two to four days as part of the Year of Homecoming celebrations.

The weather on the Thursday and Friday at Portsoy was blistering hot and the Helmsdale ladies joined other craft exhibitors in the Living Traditions marquee. A prime position was allocated to the knitters just inside the entrance and visitors were soon commenting on the wonderful display in front of them, including knitting demonstrations and a raffle to win a gansey patterned cushion. The marquee was much busier on the Friday and the group coped admirably with all the questions being asked by curious visitors.

Helmsdale knitting group and gansey knitting enthusiasts at the Portsoy Boat Festival last week. In the group are, left to right: Paul Dodwell, Hazel Tindall, Anne Sinclair and Joan Murray Jacquie Aitken

The Princess Royal talks to members of the Helmsdale knitting group and gansey knitting enthusiasts at the Portsoy Boat Festival last week. In the group are, left to right: Paul Dodwell, Hazel Tindall, Anne Sinclair and Joan Murray Jacquie Aitken

Shortly after they arrived, the group formed a kindred friendship with Paul Dodwell, a gansey knitting enthusiast from Warrington in Cheshire, who was invited to the festival to give gansey knitting master classes. The world's fastest knitter, Hazel Tindall from Shetland, also joined the Helmsdale group.

On the Friday afternoon there was much excitement as it was announced that the Princess Royal had arrived at the festival and, to the delight of the group, she entered the Living Traditions marquee and met the Helmsdale knitters face to face. She talked to each person and during one conversation told the group that her granny had knitted on four needles and had made socks for her and her siblings.

The photo opportunity was quickly snapped by Jacquie Aitken, heritage officer at Timespan, who also attended with the group. The Princess Royal was exceedingly well-informed and stayed at the festival for two hours before leaving by helicopter.

The knitting group is supported by the Scottish Community Foundation and meet every Tuesday at 2pm in Timespan.

Anyone interested in knowing more about gansey knitting or who would like to join the group can call 01431-821327 or e-mail archive@timespan.org.uk.

Published on Friday 10 July 2009 by David Mason