F I S H I N G  Y A R N S

Hand Crafted Textiles Traditionally British
Charting the Patterns of The British Isles

Catherine learnt to knit at an early age, gaining her skills from her grandmother and mother, and has been an avid knitter ever since. 

On moving to Cornwall in 2007 she discovered the vast history of knitters, fishermen’s wives created jumpers as working garments for family members, using patterns designed individually for each fishing cove.  As a form of identification each gansey had the initials of the fisherman embossed in stitches in the arm pit, each garment therefore being unique. 

Contract Knitting gave another vital income for the families, and on waiting for ‘the catch of the day’ many women gathered on the harbour side, using the traditional knitting technique of ‘knitting in the round’ for markets out of the county. 

Now based in Cumbria, Catherine has extended her portfolio to use patterns from the North East of England, Scotland and Aran.

Catherine feels proud to be rediscovering the beauty of these patterns and the heritage they represent.