Eriskay Jersey
During the herring season, women and girls from across the Highlands and Islands, including many from Eriskay, worked as “Herring Girls,” employed to gut and pack the catch landed by the fishing fleet. In 1901, the census recorded 57 women and girls from Eriskay engaged in this work. These women followed the fleet from Shetland to Great Yarmouth and beyond, with the islanders particularly sought after for their reputation as highly skilled and dependable workers.
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Despite their hard work, pay was meagre and living conditions were often poor. While waiting for the boats to return with their next haul of herring, the women would pass the time by knitting, an ever-present skill in their lives. So adept were they that they could knit while walking, without ever glancing at their needles.
Each woman or family had their own unique knitting patterns, often reflecting their lives and surroundings- patterns inspired by crofting, fishing, or religious symbols. These patterns weren’t just decorative: in the tragic event of a fisherman drowning, a jersey’s pattern could help identify which family he belonged to.
It was among these Herring Girls that the Eriskay Jersey was born. One Eriskay knitter, inspired by the many different patterns she saw in other fishing communities, decided to combine them all into a single garment. The result was a uniquely beautiful jersey, now known as the Eriskay Jersey, which captured a living history of work, travel, skill, and creativity. Each Eriskay Jersey carries a pattern that is entirely individual and passed down through generations from mother to daughter.
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The Eriskay Jersey is more than clothing. It is a symbol of resilience, craftsmanship, and community pride. Wearing one is both a privilege and a connection to a long line of strong, skilled island women. The garments are known for their complexity and beauty, and they are still treasured to this day.
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By 2022, only one woman on Eriskay remained who still knitted the jersey. Alarmed at the risk of this tradition being lost, Comann Eachdraidh Eirisgeidh took swift action and began running Eriskay Jersey knitting workshops to pass on the knowledge. These workshops have already inspired new knitters not only on Eriskay but also in Barra, South Uist, Benbecula, and North Uist. We plan to continue these workshops, especially once Ionad Eilean na h-Òige is fully operational, to ensure this treasured part of our heritage is never lost.
'The Eriskay Jersey remains a powerful expression of identity, heritage, and island craftsmanship, living history, stitched entirely by hand'.
