In the 19th and early 20th Century the herring industry was at its height in Stornoway and Barra in the Outer Hebrides, during which time the summer populations of these ports would double with the influx of fishermen, herring gutters and packers, fish curers and coopers.

Associated with the culture of this industry, was the gansey ‘geansaidh’ (Gaelic) – a tight fitting, hard wearing, uniquely patterned fisherman’s sweater knitted by the ‘quines’ girls who worked with the catch.

This cowl takes inspiration from the herring fleet. The pattern echoes shapes and forms of the wooden fishing boats construction, traditional rigging and hand stitched sails with a little nod to the ‘knit and purl’ of gansey patterns.

The cowl is for the intermediate knitter and is constructed using the Moebius cast-on technique that results in a twisted infinity cowl. The pattern includes yarn overs and 2 stitch decreases.

Photography: Maureen Du Preez