Itching for a Guernsey knit
Knitwear isn’t always in vogue, but those in the know will have a Guernsey jumper in their wardrobe. Tessa Waugh discovers the story behind the sailor’s staple
Like Barbour coats and Hunter wellies, Guernsey jumpers are a country clothing staple. They’re also fabulously warm—‘and sexy,’ adds a fashion-loving friend, continuing that ‘men always look good in them—but only in navy’.
The question is this: why is an island with no sheep (they only arrived about 25 years ago) and a famously gentle climate known for its jumpers? knitwear has been big in Guernsey for more than 500 years, its story starting when the Crown allowed islanders to import duty-free wool as a reward for policing the Channel.
in those days, both men and women were involved in knitting the jumpers, largely for fisherman and sailors. each parish and some of the more important families had its own pattern, meaning that, if a sailor drowned at sea, his body could be identified by its jersey.
Designs varied, but the basic pattern remained the same, the distinctive high neck providing a barrier against wind and sea spray and the underarm gusset allowing for increased movement when working on- and offshore.
each detail symbolises a different aspect of life at sea: the web along the bottom shows the sea, the bobbles above (more pronounced in the days when they were knitted entirely by hand) suggest the fishing nets floating in the water and the pattern around the top of the sleeve is a nod to the ladders going up the side of the boat.
After the Second World War, there was a feeling that the item’s authenticity was being eroded by all the different interpretations on offer and the Wi put forward a proposal that the true Guernsey jumper should stick to one pattern. The design it came up with is the one that we know today, produced on the island by a company called Le Tricoteur since 1968.
Manager Neil Sexton has worked there for 45 years, witnessing big changes in the industry. ‘in the 1970s and early 1980s, we were regularly making more than 1,000 garments per week,’ he reveals. ‘However, knitwear died a death in the late 1980s and we now produce about 5,000 to 6,000 each year.’ Although consumers have been seduced by the affordability and easy care of mass-produced clothing, there is still a residual demand for quality, handmade garments. Guernsey jumpers are considered a luxury, although they’re no longer made entirely by hand. ‘We knit the two body pieces and sleeves by machine in the factory,’ explains Mr Sexton. ‘They then go out to one of 30 hand knitters, who make the shoulder ridge, the neck and the underarm gusset. Afterwards, they come back into the factory and we join up the sides and sleeves using the same wool.’ This special yarn is key to the piece’s character—it’s worsted, meaning that when it’s spun, it’s given an extra twist so that there’s lots of fabric in every inch of knitting. This is why the finished articles are showerproof and windproof. Sales may have declined, but the reach of these garments has spread far beyond the British isles. Le Tricoteur, which also produces hats, scarves and jackets, exports all over the world. ‘We get orders from Australia and New Zealand as well as places such as Borneo and send up to 4,000 garments to Japan per year,’ confirms Mr Sexton. The British Army has been a good customer over the years, as have crews competing in the America’s Cup, Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic powerboat team and the New York City Opera company. One word of warning—if, like me, your childhood involved being shoehorned into a Guernsey, you’ll know that allowing the wool to come into direct contact with your neck or wrists is a killer. Mr Sexton recommends wearing a rugby shirt underneath as the best way of combatting the resulting itch. Le Tricoteur (www.guernseyjumpers.com; 01481 266881)