https://blog.jmadge.com/tags/knitting/Recent content in Knitting on Jim MadgeHugoen-gbJim Madge licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/?ref=chooser-v1" target="_blank" rel="license noopener noreferrer" style="display:inline-block;">CC BY 4.0</a>Sat, 05 Sep 2026 15:34:46 +0100https://blog.jmadge.com/posts/knitting-a-gansey/Sat, 05 Sep 2026 15:34:46 +0100https://blog.jmadge.com/posts/knitting-a-gansey/<h2 id="ganseys">Ganseys</h2> <p><a href="https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/gansey-knitting/">Ganseys</a> are traditional, hand-knitted jumpers worn by those working in the fishing industry (particularly fishers) and knitted by their families, mostly wives who worked onshore processing catches. They have a distinctive mix of practical features like under-arm gussets, garter welts, rugged cast-ons, and top-down sleeves, well suited to their role as workwear. Ganseys are flexible, close fitting, quite wind and water-proof, and repairable.</p> <!-- Construction may also be optimised for hand knitting and in some ways is very simple. --> <!-- Knit in the round with a rectangular construction, sometimes with no neck or shoulder shaping at all. --> <!-- Ganseys are made predominantly using only knit and purl stitches. --> <p>The patterns are also distinctive, often with great texture. A single garment usually has one of horizontal or vertical bands of repeated motif. Seed, moss and garter stitches create texture and could be interspersed between other patterns to adjust size. Geometric patterns, like diamonds, herringbones, zig-zags and blocks are common. Some patterns are figurative (often nautical), using combinations of knits and purls to form flags, anchors, lighthouses, stars, hearts and trees. Cables may represent ropes and rigging.</p>