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Textiles

Sanquhar Knitting

Set of 7 needles

Period:
20th Century
Description:

Set of "wires" or needles used for knitting Sanquhar gloves. The shorter needles were for producing the fingers, or for knitting children's sized gloves with 2 ply wool. This set was owned and used by Miss Jane N Forsyth of Sanquhar.

 

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 coloured 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.

 

The needles and the yarns used were very fine by modern standards and the patterns were intricate.  This ensured a market for handknitting long after it became possible to make socks and gloves by machine.

 

The complexity of the patterns also protected them from imitation.  Nowadays gloves are knitted using 3-ply wool and needles ranging from No 13 to No 16 (2 1/4 - 1 1/2mm).  As the patterns are constant it is the size of the needles which determines the size of the glove. Sets of finger needles as little as 3" (75mm) long made the knitting of fingers swift and easy.

Materials/Media:
metal
Dimensions:
(main) length 175mm, (finger) length 125mm
Source:
Sanquhar Tolbooth Museum
Accession number:
SQRTM:1997.4.19
Digital Number:
SQAC001n
Creation Date:
c1992
Copyright:
Dumfries & Galloway Council