Hancrafted Knitwear: The Sanquhar
Each year I ask our knit designer, Lorraine Acornley to create a truly unique limited edition handknit. This year Lorraine gave a modern reinterpretation to a classical Scottish Sanquhar design; the cardigan, a supersized Sanquhar knit, is inspired by the historical patterns from Sanquhar - a village on the west coast of Scotland near Dumfries House. Sanquhar is notable for two-colour geometric patterns, created to be uniquely distinctive products that could still command a market in the face of the industrialisation of the knitwear industry.
‘I wanted to combine the heritage of Sanquhar patterns with the aesthetic of the iconic 1980’s Joseph Handknit Knits’ explains Lorraine, ‘and produce a cashmere knit for Connolly that you really don’t see anymore... I started by looking at both Sanquhar and Scandinavian motifs that were graphic and nostalgic... scaling these up and supersizing them... cutting and collaging various parts of the design to come up with a pattern... I then asked Di Gilpin to translate and chart my design.'
Bold and inspiring and beautifully hand knitted by master knitter Di Gilpin in Scotland, working from a knitting chart that she had hand drawn to scale, only 8 have been made. Working with three master hand knitters, Mrs Betty Miller, Sheila Greenwell and Sandra Buttercase, Di combined two knitting techniques; Fair Isle Stranded hand knitting with Intarsia to create the effect that Lorraine wanted to achieve.
The Sanquhar cardigan is knitted in 100% Cashmere with 5 strands all plied together by hand before knitting and each piece uses nearly two kilos of yarn.. It takes an average of three master knitters working on each piece over three weeks... as a comparison , industrial knitting takes 30 minutes to produce a garment. Working in her studio in Scotland Di used a three needle cast off at the shoulders before continuing to hand sew the sleeves into place, followed by the seams, pockets and fronts. The stitches for the collar were then carefully picked up and the collar knitted. Each button hole was reinforced by hand to allow the button to slide effortlessly into place and to stay secure inside the folded front.
Some of the Sanquhar Motif meanings you can find in the Connolly Sanquhar…
Star
Provide guidance, protection, and act as a "lodestar" for courage and safety, especially for soldiers.
Diamonds and Lozenges
Symbolise fertility and protection, or can represent the earth.
Snowflakes
Are a symbol of protection and good luck, though their use can also connect to resurrection.
Zigzags and Chevrons
Can signify natural elements like mountains or water.
Crosses
Carry religious symbolism, often tied to regional heraldry or the safety of symbols used in churches.
Flowers and Roses
Are a representation of love and the divine, linked to the Christian tradition of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
Colours also hold significant meaning, where white can symbolise purity and healing and black stands for protection against darkness. These motifs and colours were not just decorative but were believed to offer spiritual or magical protection, with symbols often drawn from nature or religious iconography to incorporate into garments like hats, mittens, and sweaters.
Colours also hold significant meaning, where white can symbolise purity and healing and black stands for protection against darkness. These motifs and colours were not just decorative but were believed to offer spiritual or magical protection, with symbols often drawn from nature or religious iconography to incorporate into garments like hats, mittens, and sweaters.
THE HISTORY OF SANQUHAR
The town of Sanquhar was granted the status of a Royal Burgh in 1598 by King James VI which allowed the trade in the area flourish. As a result there has been a long history of producing and exporting textiles from this part of Scotland.
The most popular Sanquhar pattern is called the Duke which was named after the Duke of Buccleuch. Exports of Sanquhar textiles reached their peak during the Victorian era. Knitted gloves and other garments from the region where especially sought after for their quality and unique geometric designs. However this was a cottage based industry and most if not all of the textiles were produced at home by locals to subsidise their income, it was an industry that would go into gradual decline due to modernisation. In 2014, Sanquhar Pattern Designs, an initiative was set up to revive a cottage industry and safeguard a local tradition, producing original knitwear from Sanquhar, the home of the historic pattern.
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