Hard of Herring

 

My fellow needlecrafter Mrs Quilt recently sent me details of a planned exhibition at the Old Low Light which will be called Woman’s Work.  A large element of it will be about the fisher-lasses and fishwives who followed the shoals of herrings down the east coast of England, gutting and preparing them for salting, etc.  During their free-time the wives and lasses would occupy themselves knitting socks, ganseys and other garments.  

The organisers have appealed for local stories of the Fish Quay, and for local knitters to make herrings for a display they want to create.

Pictured above is my first attempt at a knitted herring. The fins and mouth were very fiddly and the sewing up instructions not how I'm going to do it next time.

When I put the photo up on Facebook I added a quiz question “What local folksong does this refer to?”

(Fester and I then had a discussion on whether it's the fishy or the dishy that's little in that song.)

The question resulted in this thread:-

Drummerman  Well , if it’s When the Boat Comes In it should be a bloater. So perhaps The Herring (What will we do with its various body parts)? (OK, a bloater can be a herring).

Bentonbag  Salmon, mackerel and haddock are also mentioned.  Nobody in their right minds would give a toddler a herring; too many bones.

Drummerman  Everyone is entitled to a fair herring...

Bentonbag  The scales of justice suggest this is no plaice for cod humour.

Drummerman  That’s a fin distinction.

Ms Telyn  Stop carping on you two.