GanseysarehardwearingsweaterstraditionallyknittedforfishermeninandaroundtheBritishIsles.Today,thestylingandhistoryofganseysisaspopularaseverandthiscollectionofstitchpatternsandprojectsbringsthehistoryofganseystoanewaudience.Learnallaboutthetechniquesusedforknittingganseyswiththiscomprehensivesourcebookfromexpertsinthesubject,DiGilpinandSheliaGreenwell.DiandSheliaareknitweardesignersandmakersbasedinScotlandwheretheyteachregularworkshopsontraditionalganseytechniques.Discoverallthetechniquesyouneedtomakeanauthenticganseysweaterwiththeirspecialfeatureswhichweredevelopedforwarmthandcomfortinwhatwereoften,harshconditionsoutatsea.Ganseysweredesignedwithaspecialunderarmgussetandashoulderseamwhichpreventedchaffingandimprovedmovementforthewearerevenwhenthejumpergotwetandheavy.Theauthorsexplainthesetechniqueswithstep-by-stepinstructionsandartworkssoyoucanreplicatethesedetailsinyourownwork.Anotherkeyelementtotheganseyisthestitchpatternwhichwasspecifictothelocalareaandoftenhadasymbolismbeyondthepatternitselfand,somehoped,wouldactasacharmtokeepthefishermensafewhiletheywereoutatsea.Thiscollectionfeaturesacomprehensivedirectoryof150ganseystitchpatternssoyoucanchooseyourfavouritedesignsandmotifsandlearnwhichpatternswereimportanttothefishermenindifferentareas.Therearealso10patternsforgarmentsandaccessoriessoyoucanpractiseyourskills.Theprojectsincludeachild’straditionalganseysweatersoyoucantryoutyourskillsonatraditionalsweaterbutonasmallscale.Therearealsosomecontemporarytakesonthetraditionalganseyusinglighterweightyarnanddesigndetails:theseincludeabeautifulsweaterwithaganseyyoke;acontemporarytakeonthefisherman’skep;aganseystitchcowl;apairofmittensandsocks;andlightlinentanktop.Thesmallerprojectssuchasthemittensandhatsaregreatforpractisingyourskillsbeforeyouattemptoneofthelargerprojects.
