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Synopsis
Provides eighty-two authentic patterns for Guernsey and Jersey sweaters worn by the fishermen of England, Ireland, and Scotland.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Knitting fisherman's ganseys is a bit different to knitting the usual kind of sweater, where you basically make sections then sew them together. Sweaters are worked "in the round" and there are no seams, the sleeves being grafted onto to body. This sounds complicated but is in fact surprisingly easy once you've got the idea, and the end result is both harder-wearing and more comfortable.
I first got this book many years ago when I had taught myself to knit. However, I found ordinary knitting patterns, with their pages of unintelligible code, made my brain hurt and this meant I couldn't knit anything but a scarf. The story of the fishermen and the traditional fisherman's gansey inspired me, but I still couldn't cope with the patterns. I found, however, I could knit the jerseys from the photographs (black and white but very, very clear, showing lots of detail) and from the graph paper charts, using modern "round" needles - two metal pins joined by a long piece of nylon - rather than the cumbersome traditional four needles. However, anyone who can read a knitting pattern will find all they need here too. It is ideal for anyone moving on from basic knitting who wants something a little more adventurous but not too complicated, as all the patterns are made by simple variations on the basic stitches.
The book includes about 72 East Coast and Scottish patterns, and 14 authentic Aran patterns, and a few other bits and pieces. Some have been adapted for children but most are the original authentic fisherrman's gansey. The lack of colour photos isn't really a drawback as all the sweaters are monochrome anyway. Some of the patterns are given as complete sweater patterns, in other cases, just the knitting of the decorative feature is laid out, allowing the knitter to adapt patterns and make up their own combinations. Once you have mastered the basic shape and structure of a seamless fisherman's sweater, you can easily vary both pattern and size, even if you are not an expert knitter.
I found the story of the fishing fleets, of the little herring ports of the East Coast, and how Thompson collected the patterns, fascinating. The background doesn't dominate the text, it enriches it. Nearly 30 years on I still use this book all the time; it is the most interesting knitting book I've come across. For the imaginative knitter, who wants to combine practical advice with social history and background, this is an excellent buy. A lot more men are knitting nowadays, and the designs in here are eminently suitable; I would also venture to suggest that many men may also find it easier to knit from diagrams than from traditional patterns.
If you want a book which also covers multicoloured stranded knitting patterns - what we call "Fair Isle", try Traditional Knitting in the British Isles, but it isn't quite such a satisfactory book overall.
I first got this book many years ago when I had taught myself to knit. However, I found ordinary knitting patterns, with their pages of unintelligible code, made my brain hurt and this meant I couldn't knit anything but a scarf. The story of the fishermen and the traditional fisherman's gansey inspired me, but I still couldn't cope with the patterns. I found, however, I could knit the jerseys from the photographs (black and white but very, very clear, showing lots of detail) and from the graph paper charts, using modern "round" needles - two metal pins joined by a long piece of nylon - rather than the cumbersome traditional four needles. However, anyone who can read a knitting pattern will find all they need here too. It is ideal for anyone moving on from basic knitting who wants something a little more adventurous but not too complicated, as all the patterns are made by simple variations on the basic stitches.
The book includes about 72 East Coast and Scottish patterns, and 14 authentic Aran patterns, and a few other bits and pieces. Some have been adapted for children but most are the original authentic fisherrman's gansey. The lack of colour photos isn't really a drawback as all the sweaters are monochrome anyway. Some of the patterns are given as complete sweater patterns, in other cases, just the knitting of the decorative feature is laid out, allowing the knitter to adapt patterns and make up their own combinations. Once you have mastered the basic shape and structure of a seamless fisherman's sweater, you can easily vary both pattern and size, even if you are not an expert knitter.
I found the story of the fishing fleets, of the little herring ports of the East Coast, and how Thompson collected the patterns, fascinating. The background doesn't dominate the text, it enriches it. Nearly 30 years on I still use this book all the time; it is the most interesting knitting book I've come across. For the imaginative knitter, who wants to combine practical advice with social history and background, this is an excellent buy. A lot more men are knitting nowadays, and the designs in here are eminently suitable; I would also venture to suggest that many men may also find it easier to knit from diagrams than from traditional patterns.
If you want a book which also covers multicoloured stranded knitting patterns - what we call "Fair Isle", try Traditional Knitting in the British Isles, but it isn't quite such a satisfactory book overall.
34 of 37 people found the following review helpful
This book was recommended to me some time ago, and I've used it both using the patterns in the book and adapting one of the patterns in the book to create one of my own.
Gladys Thompson effectively takes you on a tour up the East coast of England and Scotland and goes into the origins of the patterns as well. It's an excellent introduction and will give you lots of information to start on making your own ganseys. Worth every penny.
Gladys Thompson effectively takes you on a tour up the East coast of England and Scotland and goes into the origins of the patterns as well. It's an excellent introduction and will give you lots of information to start on making your own ganseys. Worth every penny.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
This is a a survey of Jerseys, Guernseys, and Aran patterns from all around Britain. Gladys Thomson gives local variations on stitches, and detailed instructions on how to construct the jumpers, as well as anecdotes about the places she visited or the person who gave her the pattern.
Charts, photos, and written instructions are given with the variations, sometimes for whole panels, or entire garments. With a little know how, it is possible to blend together the different stitches to make a unique sweater.
You do have to make your own decisions about sizes, as few are given. The construction of the sleeves, which have gussets added on, makes this easier than it sounds, but you are on your own for shaping the neck. However by looking at those patterns which have full directions, you should get by.
I love this book - a real treasure trove.
Charts, photos, and written instructions are given with the variations, sometimes for whole panels, or entire garments. With a little know how, it is possible to blend together the different stitches to make a unique sweater.
You do have to make your own decisions about sizes, as few are given. The construction of the sleeves, which have gussets added on, makes this easier than it sounds, but you are on your own for shaping the neck. However by looking at those patterns which have full directions, you should get by.
I love this book - a real treasure trove.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
interesting book
this book is interesting from an historic point of view. It has clear diagrams so that you can make up your own designs to personalise ganseys. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Anne
Heart Warming Historical Gem
i LOVE this book. it is such a rich reference for design. i don't know if it has complete patterns for jumpers (some say no i think? Read more
Published 10 months ago by Robyne Melia
not what I expected
I ordered this book because I'm knitting my first gansey. As the pattern supplied is rather confusing, I hoped that this book would provide me with a more comprehensive and... Read more
Published on 8 Oct 2009 by Millie R
Really interesting book
I found this an interesting book, but was disappointed as I did not find it possible to make a guernsey without purchasing a special guernsey DVD which gave me much more... Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2009 by Mrs. H. M. Fry
Does What The Title says
I bought this book expecting something around the history of the Aran patterns. It was a big disappointment for me. Read more
Published on 14 May 2009 by Freespirit
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