The Poetic Reconstruction of a Cornish Gansey, from Sheep to Sea.
The traditional Cornish Gansey is a uniform for fishermen and sailors dating back to the 18th Century. They are a link between our heritage industries, a feat of engineering, constructed mainly by women. It is a complex piece with considered features, technical for the time, made to keep our men and now women safe and warm during their long days at sea.
This project documents the reconstruction of a Gansey. From sheep to sea; shearing, processing, dying, knitting and fishing, in an attempt to bring awareness to the work that goes into these revered pieces. Elevating transparency in supply chains, unveiling the hidden figures, the craftsmanship, shifting gender roles, the romance, heart and soul that runs through each and every jumper.
It was a collaboration between so many, friends old and new, each contributing something incredibly special to the project. Thank you all:
Written and Produced by Lauren Williams
Film by Greg Dennis
Photography by James Bowden
Poem by Hannah Stocks
Read by Sarah J Stephens
Knitting by Dana Kellett
Dying by Sarah Johnson
Shearing by Matt Smith
Wool processing by The Natural Fibre Company
Fishermen Amy Isobel Rose
Skipper Andrew Stephens on the Britannia IV
Narration by Sarah J Stephens
Music by Femmes de la Mer
Gansey wool by Frangipani Wool
Knitted swatches by Merryn Sumner, Norma Dale, Jenny Lake, Steph Wheeler, Maggie Weaver and Jan Gruitt
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