The Box: Reclaim, Revive, Remake

 This display has now finished.

This was a display in a window in the cafe and focused on the Gansey Collective and their drive to revive the Janner Gansey.  A Gansey is a thick woollen jumper typically worn by fishermen.  Different communities had distinctive patterns that were only used locally, but Plymouth lost their gansey.

The Conscious Sisters CIC, supported by the Box and others, worked with local knitters and artists to revive the Plymouth Gansey.  They were able to find two photographs showing original Plymouth ganseys and these were used to redevelop a pattern for the Plymouth Gansey.

The display obviously had an example of the Gansey and the pictures that helped revive it but it also contained some tiny little knitted sweaters and some fish.  I particularly liked these!

I had known nothing about Ganseys but I really like crafts and think its so important that they are retained.  By doing this research and developing patterns they ensure that the Janner Gansey is not lost to Plymouth again.  

I think crafts are so often seen as lesser when compared to art but I think they bring art in to the everyday.  They give a sense of identity and place.  So often they are much more sustainable than most in todays throwaway society.  Each Gansey takes around 150 hours to knit and if its damaged, it can be repaired or unravelled and remade.  The dense woollen thread used is great at keeping the weather out and natural.

It's great to see this jumper being celebrated and becoming available to others again.

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