Hand-knitted curling sweaters

Written by Bob Cowan

This photo of eight upstanding young curlers - all members of Carmunnock and Rutherglen CC - comes from the late 1960s, and was taken in the annex of the Crossmyloof rink. It is in the club's archives! By whom it was taken, I don't know, nor do I remember the occasion. Their names are:

Back L-R: Bill Horton, Graeme Adam, John Brown and Michael Burton.
Front: David Horton, Bob Cowan, Martin Bryden and Robin Gemmell.

Look at what three of us in the front row are wearing. These are hand knitted, shawl-collared curling sweaters, often referred to as Cowichan sweaters. The name comes from the Cowichan people of southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, who pioneered these distinctively patterned, heavy-knit sweaters. They are also called Mary Maxim sweaters, or simply 'curling sweaters', whether or not the design is a curling one.

My mother had knitted me such a sweater - in fact it's the one Martin Bryden is wearing in the photo - when I had begun curling at school. I was very proud of it, although I probably did not appreciate at the time the effort which had gone in to making it. The sweater still exists, although it has shrunk considerably over the years. Or perhaps there is another reason it no longer fits!

I suspect that it was finding an extract from a knitting pattern in my Higher English paper back in 1964 that affected me in such a way, that with my introduction to eBay some ten years ago, I started to collect knitting patterns for curling jumpers.

In the midst of the Loudmouth revolution, it is interesting to look back at curling fashion on the ice in the 1960s, and see the social history that can be gleaned from the simple knitting pattern. Here are just a few from the 'national collection'.

'Bonspiel Days' is the name of this Mary Maxim pattern, which is © 1955 Miss Mary Maxim Ltd. The instructions call for the use of four-ply 'Northland' wool.

It is this garment which has been recreated recently by Jenny Stark, see here.

This pattern says 'Patented 1957' on the cover, and '© 1959' on the back. The 'Women's or Teeners'' pattern is illustrated, but there was also a 'Men's' version. I have copies of the latter, one priced at 25c, printed in Canada, and another, priced at 6d, printed in England.

This © 1961 pattern, called 'Granite Club' was the one knitted for me by my mother. I have not yet come across a women's version of this pattern.

This one shows a price of 25c, but I also have a version with a dual price of 25c and 6d, with 'Printed in England' on the back cover. Presumably by the early 1960s the patterns were more available in the UK. Indeed, by then Miss Mary Maxim had a presence in Leicester, England.

And no, my mother did not knit me the Tam-O-Shanter!

Mary Maxim was not the only company producing knitting patters for curling sweaters. This one, © 1961, was by the Woolard Company Ltd, of Paris, Ontario, who also marketed a different design, No.13.

Dominion Woollens and Worsteds Ltd of Ontario also published 'Bouquet' patterns for 'Polar Sweater Curling Design'.

This was from Patons and Baldwins Ltd, Toronto. Not dated. There is a separate 'Lady's' pattern.

This by Belding-Corticelli Ltd, designed for 'Empire' or 'Caribou' yarn. Not dated. There is also a separate men's pattern.

By Newlands-Harding, not dated. There was a separate men's pattern of the same design.

This is the rear cover of the pattern above, showing other designs which could be knitted.

And for any non-knitters reading this, here is an example page from inside the pattern!

 

Although the 1960s were the heyday of the hand knitted sweaters, this pattern was not produced by Patons and Baldwins Inc until 1984.

There is even a pattern for a curling sweater to fit Barbie! Here's the result. This was recreated recently by Kathryn Mackin. Splendid!

There are patterns for other types of curling jumper. But a description of these is for another time!

Curling history enthusiasts David B Smith and Bob Cowan are both sporting modern recreations of two of the patterns. Hazel Smith was the photographer.

Grand/Royal Caledonian Curling Club District Medals

by David B Smith

This article has been prompted by my finding in my repositories (great word!) a small parcel wrapped in crinkly, grease-proof paper. I have no recollection how it came to me. When unwrapped the bundle revealed within a paper envelope a slim cardboard box, and two pieces of printed paper. The box bore the legend: R and W SORLEY, Medallists, St Vincent St. and Renfield St. Corner.

The box’s content was a mint Royal Caledonian Curling Club District Medal, with a suspension ribbon, and chased suspension pin-bar.

The first paper was a proforma letter from A Davidson Smith, secretary of the RCCC, dated December 2, 1909, sending to an unnamed umpire the district medal awarded for competition between Glenmuir Water and Kilmaurs Clubs.

The second was a Report of the Match which he was requested to fill in and return to the secretary.

I had little difficulty in deducing that the match had never taken place, or the medal would not have found its way into my collection, but a perusal of the appropriate Annuals confirmed that that was so. So this medal joined the very large number of anonymous district medals that had either never been played for or had been played for but never engraved with the result.

The awarding of district medals was one way – the main way – in which the new Grand Club encouraged the spread of the game throughout Scotland. The institution of the Club occurred at an opportune time in history, for the beginning and expansion of the railways meant that the curler’s view of competition was no longer restricted to the immediately adjacent parishes. It was now possible for quite large groups of curlers to be carried quite considerable distances for their participation in the national game. By 1847 it was possible to think of seeing a whole nation at play in the large bonspiels known as Grand Matches.

The rules about medals first appeared in the Annual for 1839-40 and both District and Local medals were provided for. For district medals all the member clubs were to be arranged in pairs of clubs which were conveniently closely situated and those to whom medals awarded decided by lot. “The number to be given in any one year shall depend on the number of associated clubs, as well as on the state of the funds…” In the first year ten district medals were awarded. Local medals were for play among the members of one club at points.

The medals proved popular and clubs were arranged on a rotation so that every club had a chance to be drawn every second year.

In an article I wrote for the Scottish Curler in 2005 I said that it would be possible to make an estimate of the total number of Grand/RCCC medals produced since 1840 by adding up the number awarded each year; a list appears in each Annual, and a remarkably large sum for payment for medals appears in the accounts, but I had not done so. There must have been thousands. For example, for the season 1932-3 alone there were 125 district medals. Prompted by finding the Glenmuir v Kilmaurs medal I have now tried to calculate accurately the numbers of the district medal produced in total for the life of the first design, that is, from 1839 until 1870.

John Sclater was the man chosen to design the Club’s medal. His design – a group of curlers at play on the front, and the name of the club and its date of foundation, on the reverse – lasted until 1870, when, with a minimum of fuss, it was decided to have a new design. The minute of the AGM of July 1870 states: “Designs for a new medal, prepared by the medallist, were submitted to the meeting, and were remitted to the Committee on the Annual, with power to select a design, and to have the medal ready for distribution by the ensuing winter.” Next winter the preface to the Annual reported merely that, “The new medal has been highly approved.” What a pity that all the competing designs have not survived. The design approved in 1870, the combination of a curling scene and the Lion Rampant, has stood the test of time, for it is still in use. Nonetheless I have always preferred the earlier design.

The first medals were of silver although they almost never were hall-marked. In more recent times they have been made of humble bronze.

The idea inherent in the design of a largely blank reverse was to allow the winning club to cause to be engraved there the details of its victory, such as the date, the place, the opposing club, the number of shots by which victory was won. I have one or two which record – rather boastfully, it appears to me – the name of the president of the winning club. With such details the medal is an actual piece of history. Without them it is merely a quite common though quite pleasing example of the medallist’s art.

Some clubs displayed their store of medals with pride on every club occasion, sometimes by arranging them on an apron or waistcoat worn by the president; others by showing them off in specially made display boxes. Sadly, many clubs have not even bothered to have their medals engraved.

It was the job of the umpire , appointed at the time of the awarding of the medal, to send a report on the match to the Grand/RCCC for inclusion in the Annual. There one can read who played whom, how many, when, where, for how long and what was the state of the ice. The reports make very interesting reading. For example, in 1855 there was the report of the match between Catrine and Douglas Water. “The Ice was keen and a little biassed, the play was particularly good on both sides. The Douglas Water Club’s Stones were much larger than the Catrine Club’s Stones, and they told severely on the small stones, otherwise the game would have been much closer.” On January 12, 1871, two rinks of Brechin Castle were beaten by Forfar, 27-34, in a three hour match on Finavon pond, the ice of which was “Keen but very much twisted”, while on January 30 of the same year Yoker beat Milton of Campsie on Ardinning Loch on ice that was “All that a keen curler could desire.”

When the system settled down one could read in the Annual which clubs had been awarded medals against which club. The theory was that next year in the following Annual one could read the result. Our fickle climate meant that this by no means always happened. In some good winters we find in the table the results for medals awarded up to four of five years before; and, of course, some medals, like the one that inspired this article, were never played for at all.

I have abstracted from the tables printed in the Annuals the numbers of all the first design medals reported as played for between 1839 and 1870. The total is 2096. The growing popularity of the game is shown by the division of this figure into decades.
1839-1850 254,
1851-1860 867,
1861-1870 975.

David B Smith 

Top: The first design of District Medal.

This picture shows the medals of Roslin (Rosslyn) CC as displayed in a specially made box.

This part of the display of medals of the Roslin Curling Club shows what could be done to maximise the impact of winning a district medal. Nos. 1 and 2 referred to the large medals.

3. Grand Caledonian Curling Club Medal by Sclater. Struck 'GRAND CALEDONIAN CURLING CLUB DISTRICT MEDAL' and engraved 'PLAYED FOR on Penicuik Pond Between 4 Players from Drum AND FROM ROSSLYN on 8th Jany 1841 GAINED BY ROSLIN BY 13 SHOTS.' (H.1993.667.19)

4. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSLIN & WHITEHILL PLAYED ON ROSLIN POND 3 RINKS ASIDE Roslin 93 Whitehill 46 Majority 47 18th December 1846'. (H.1993.667.22)


5. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved '29th January 1848 ROSLIN & MUSSELBURGH ON ROSLIN POND 2 RINKS ASIDE Roslin 59 Musselburgh 21 - Majority 38.' (H.1993.667.15)


6. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved '13th February 1855 ROSLIN & GLENCROSS ON ROSLIN POND Gained by Roslin 7 Shots'. (H.1993.667.6)


7. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSLIN & GLENCROSS ON PENICUIK POND Gained by Roslin 15 Shots 31st January 1860'. (H.1993.667.16)


8. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSSLYN & YESTER ON PRESTONHALL POND Gained by Roslin 34 Shots 13th February 1860.' (H.1993.667.23)


9. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSSLYN & TARTH WATER at Penicuik Pond GAINED BY ROSSLYN 7 SHOTS 3 RINKS ALL WON. 11th January 1864.' (H.1993.667.20)


10. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved '14th January 1864 ROSSLYN & COATS CLUB ON Merchiston Pond GAINED BY ROSSLYN 41 SHOTS 3 RINKS ALL WON.' (H.1993.667.4)


11. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'Rosslyn & Eddlestone Club on PENICUIK POND Gained by Rosslyn 37 SHOTS BEING 84 TO 47 RINKS 1 TIED 3 WON 29 JANUARY 1870'. (H.1993.667.21)


12. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved '27 JANUARY 1870 ROSSLYN Newhall, Habieshowe on Penicuik Pond GAINED BY ROSSLYN By 68 Shots BEING 90 TO 22 3 Rinks all won.' (H.1993.667.5)


13. RCCC District Medal (first form) by Sclater, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'COMPETED FOR by ROSSLYN & TEMPLE CLUBS 27 DECR 1870 & Gained by Rosslyn BY 27 SHOTS'. The match was played on Whitehill Pond. (H.1993.667.7)


14. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved 'COMPETED FOR BY ROSLIN AND WEST LINTON CLUBS 24 DECR 1874 Gained by Roslyn BY 9 SHOTS.' The match was played on Whim Pond. (H.1993.667.8)


15. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved 'COMPETED FOR BY ROSSLYN AND COATES CLUBS Gained by Rosslyn BY 78 SHOTTS 1st Jany. 1875'. The match was played on Coates Pond. (H.1993.667.12)


16. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved 'COMPETED FOR BY ROSSLYN VERSUS COATES CLUBS. Gained by Rosslyn BY 71 SHOTS 19th December 1878.' (H.1993.667.2)


17. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved 'COMPETED FOR BY ROSLYN VERSUS DRUM GAINED BY ROSSLYN BY 7 SHOTS 12TH DECEMBER 1879' (H.1993.667.3).


18. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved `ROSSYLN VERSUS CURRIE GAINED BY ROSSLYN By 22 Shots 22nd JANY 1882.' (H.1993.667.11)


19. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved `Glencorse v Rosslyn 2 RINKS Rosslyn won by 5 shots 14TH DECR 1886.' (H.1993.667.25)


20. RCCC Medal (similar to second form of District Medal) by Edwards & Son, Glasgow. Struck but without the struck inscription and engraved '8th Jany 1891 COBBINSHAW LOCH 2 RINKS WON BY 26 SHOTS [names of rinks].' With crossed brooms in miniature and a cast bar: `Province Medal'. (H.1993.667.10)


21. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Edwards & Son, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'CORSTORPHINE v Rosslyn on Merchiston Pond 4 RINKS WON BY 46 SHOTS 9th January 1891.' (H.1993.667.17)


22. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Kirkwood & Son, Edinburgh. Struck as usual and engraved '10th Jany 1891 STOW v ROSSLYN on Whitehill Pond 3 RINKS WON BY 22 SHOTS.' (H.1993.667.13)


23. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Edwards & Son, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSSLYN v CRAIGLOCKHART 1ST FEB 1895 Won by 40 Points.' The match was played on Roslin Pond. (H.1993.667.9)


24. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Edwards & Son, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'ROSSLYN v COATES 3 RINKS 27th Jany 1897 WON BY 4 SHOTS.' The match was played on Blackford Pond. (H.1993.667.18)


25. RCCC District Medal (second form) by Edwards & Son, Glasgow. Struck as usual and engraved 'PLAYED ON WAVERLEY BLACKFORD POND. BUCHAN v ROSSLYN 4 RINKS WON BY 4 SHOTS 1st February 1899.' (H.1993.667.24)

The illustrations are © David B Smith.