Post an interesting thought

[fraxamo]

Until recently, english fishermen still wore thick woolen jumpers made from wool with the lanolin left in to waterproof them

I was under the impression that the jumpers were knitted by each of the fishermen's wives with a distinctive pattern which made identification of a drowned fishermen easier when they were pulled out of the sea. However, according to this article that's a myth. Disappointing.

 

[blackbird9]

Not sure about personalised patterns, I've never heard that story before. There were knitting patterns that came from particular areas or even specific small coastal islands. You can still buy pullovers made in these traditional patterns, but I think they don't use the old-style heavy wool with all the lanolin still in, rather the modern 'fashion' versions you can buy are like any other modern woollen pullover with the lanolin stripped out. The lanolin makes the jumper smell pretty strongly of sheep, which of course modern consumers don't really want! Well, perhaps there are still some makers making the real thing. But when I watch the local fishermen coming into port round my local area, they are usually wearing synthetic waterproofs, offshore goretex-type suits, rubberised gear, etc, not the old style woollen gansies.

There's a little bit of a write up here https://finisterre.com/blogs/broadcast/story-of-the-polperro-jumper

This photo is typical of the kinds of clobber I see local fishermen in my area wearing nowadays.

 

[blackbird9]

I mentioned the traditional fishing jumpers because that video said the old vikings used to wear the same kind of woollen clothes, with the lanolin in to repel water. So it's a very old tradition.

 

[fraxamo]

Not sure about personalised patterns, I've never heard that story before.

Funnily enough, the article that you linked to alludes to this practice:

Behind the romance and nostalgia though, there are tales that these unique identifying patterns had a more sombre use. Before the creation of the RNLI in 1824, fishermen of the day faced the very real prospect of losing their lives when they ventured out to sea. Some have theorised that with designs unique to each Cornish village and fishing port, should tragedy strike, a drowned sailor could be identified and their body returned to their family.

It's more probable that the practice of identifying dead sailor's bodies using their knitwear was an unintended consequence of each village or family having it's own design rather than it being an intentional act of identification by the knitter and wearer.

 

[Alain De Vos]

I have a vest for the boat. I put it on when i play with my dog. Al vests have holes, but not this one. Indistructable.
My dog wants to tear my vest apart. But the vest fites back