New design wave for ganseys

GANSEYS - strong, knitted jumpers traditionally worn by fishermen - could reveal where the wearer was from, his family name, whether he was married and even how superstitious he was.

The garments have all but disappeared as the skills to design and produce them have declined and new generations of sea-goers eschew clothes knitted by their mothers.

However, a new project aims to create a fresh wave of gansey knitters and produce for the first time a design for the Moray Firth.

The Moray Firth Gansey initiative is already involved in researching the history of the traditional garments and the stories behind the patterns as well as passing on the skills that produced them.

It has launched an international competition to find a new design which will be included in an exhibition and published in a book and DVD as well as possibly being used commercially in a range of products.

Kathryn Logan, the project manager, said: "The competition is an exciting opportunity to create a pattern in the tradition of the Gansey knitters of old, and to connect with the rich heritage of Scotland."

Traditionally ganseys took about six weeks to make. They were made with four needles and knitted tightly to make them weatherproof. They were usually made by mothers, wives and girlfriends and the patterns were passed down through generations.