Review: Knitting Ganseys, Revised and Updated: Techniques and Patterns for Traditional Sweaters

Knitting Ganseys, Revised and Updated: Techniques and Patterns for Traditional Sweaters by Beth Brown-Reinsel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My thanks to Netgalley, F + W Media, and Beth Brown-Reinsel for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What is a gansey? A gansey is a type of knit sweater that is knit in the round so that it is seamless and has a simple square shape with dropped shoulders. Fishermen loved these roomy sweaters because they weren’t restricted when doing their jobs and they lasted longer because there was less rubbing of fabric They use a heavier yarn and the sweaters come out with a heavy and dense fabric that protect you from the elements. They are made with beautiful patterns of knit, purls and cables.

This books is beautifully shot and has gorgeous patterns. But it is not only a pattern book. Beth Brown-Reinsel has really done her homework. She offers you so much information about the history of ganseys, what kind of yarn and tools to use. Bu the major bulk of the book offers a complete, piece by piece, section by section deconstruction of the garment. For example she will take the underarm gusset. She explains the shape, the function, and how it is knit. There are always diagrams that the illustrate step by step instructions. Then she offers a sampler, a small piece that you can knit yourself so you can understand how it all works and fits together. She doesn't’ just leave it there. She then offers maybe ten different variations of gussets with charts and diagrams that will make your mind explode. By breaking down each part of the garment and offering such detailed instructions, with visual diagrams and charts, and then a wide variety of options she is offering you the tools you need to create your own gansey. It is like opening a jar of beads, big ones, small ones, shiny ones, plain ones, all ready to string up into a necklace of your own design. It stirs up your creative juices because the guesswork has been taken out of it. But, if you choose to only dream, no problem. There are nine patterns for you to follow, step by step, with charts and beautifully shot pictures of the finished garment for you to follow.

Whether as a coffee table book, or a pattern book, or a road map to making your own gansey, I don’t think you will be disappointed in this book. Knitting books are expensive and it is nice to now that this has multi purposes. I think time and effort that it takes to invest in one of these sweaters will be well worth it when it is finished. I feel inspired and I love the idea of wearing mine on coast of Ireland with the waves crashing around me, or the moors of Scotland protecting me from the high winds. More realistically, in my backyard, walking my dog in the middle of a Canadian winter.

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