A Brief Description of Sanquhar Knitting
Sanquhar Gloves in the Duke pattern
The craft of knitting came relatively late to Scotland. The first knitters were highly paid craftsmen of the 16th and 17th centuries who protected the secrets of their trade within incorporations or guilds. Nevertheless, by the mid 1700s knitting skills had spread throughout the country. This created a thriving cottage industry mainly producing simple knitted stockings in great numbers for sale to the home market and to the colonies. Such an industry grew up in the town of Sanquhar, in the Dumfries Galloway region of Southwestern Scotland.
The origins of the traditional patterns of Sanquhar knitting are obscure, but date from the late 1700s as the craft of knitting came relatively late to Scotland. They are similar to patterns used for gloves in Aberdeen and North Yorkshire at that time.
Sanquhar Pullover in the Duke pattern
Sanquhar patterns have similarities with traditional knitting from Scandinavia to Afghanistan. More specifically, there is close correspondence to knitting of the same period from Aberdeen and the Yorkshire Dales. Ideas may have traveled these distances but it is more likely that they arose independently from the simple coincidence of similar solutions being found to similar problems.
Knitters named patterns after people, events and everyday things from their own experience; The Duke, Rose, Trellis, Drum, Coronet, Glendyne, Midge and Flea, Shepherd's Plaid and Prince of Wales or Fleur de Lys.
The growing appreciation of traditional knitting has lead to the story of Sanquhar's knitters becoming world famous. Most recent books on the topic of traditional knitting contain information on Sanquhar knitting.
Sanquhar knitting was traditionally worked in the round on four, five or six needles with points at each end. This is the best way to make socks and gloves as it avoids seams and produces a strong, long lasting garment. It is also the simplest way to knit using two differently colored yarns as every row is knitted on the right side in plain stitches, and the wool is stranded along the reverse side. This double layer makes a warm and elastic fabric.
Sanquhar gloves are traditionally knitted using constant patterns and it is the size of the needles which determines the size of the glove.
Sanquhar Gloves in the Prince of Wales Pattern
Color combinations are generally black and white or navy and natural, but later examples occur in more adventurous combinations of which red and green is probably the most successful. Brown and yellow was a popular choice in the 1920s.