Sanquhar Knitting in Regional Context

2. What are Sanquhar Gloves?

Two-colour knitting is found across Europe. The images show backs and palms of a glove knitted in Shetland and a glove knitted in Sanquhar. These are just two examples of knitted multicoloured gloves commonly found across Europe, from Estonia to Scandinavia to Britain. The exact features vary regionally, as can be seen by comparing the Shetland and Sanquhar examples. Such time-consuming and elegant articles of dress were, and still are today, made primarily for sale to visitors as souvenirs, and as a means of generating income, rather than for personal use. Both the Shetland and Sanquhar examples were knitted in the round using fine wool and double-pointed needles, but some of the differences between the two include the colours used, the rib and cuff construction, the knitting in of the owners’ initials and date above the cuff, and the thumb and finger construction.