What do these things have in common: the oldest surviving knitting needles in England; the first written evidence of a professional knitter; the earliest known knitting sheath? They were all found in Yorkshire. Yorkshire has been described as the "centre of the wool universe" for the eighteenth and nineteenth century. To know about the history of Yorkshire knitting is to know about the history of knitting. After a painstaking search through the archives in search of original documents and images, the "Knitting Genealogist" Penelope Lister Hemingway brings you the fascinating stories behind that iconic nineteenth-century knitted garment, the gansey (or guernsey) sweater. Hemingway shows us that much of what we thought we knew about these sweaters is actually myth. Luckily, the real stories are even more interesting!

Between approximately 1875 and 1950, Dutch fishermen wore sweaters with characteristic knit and purl stitch patterns, sometimes cable. These jerseys, known as ganseys, became and intrinsic part of the identity of the Dutchmen who wore them, and their daily lives as fishermen.Publication of the bestselling book Dutch Traditional Ganseys in 2013 renewed interest in the sweaters, and dozens more old photos were discovered that inspired the creation of a second book that includes 65 brand new gansey patterns. Based on original designs and incorporating elements from them, author Stella Ruhe's contemporary recreations of these historically important garments keep the Dutch fishing heritage alive.Each design is accompanied by knitting diagrams, sketches, photographs and guidance on sizing, and all can be knitted for adults as well as children. With a wealth of fascinating background information and historical photos of the original designs, this is a unique and inspiring book for knitters, and a brilliant read for anyone interested in craft, culture and heritage.

Originally released in 1993, Beth Brown-Reinsel's bestseller, Knitting Ganseys, is a classic in the hearts of traditional and modern knitters alike, bringing this historic tradition to your needles for 25 years! This completely revised and update version of the perennial bestseller includes 100% new photography, new patterns, and more! This special edition celebrates with new patterns for sweaters in the traditional gansey style as well as new explorations of modern gansey-inspired patterns. Full-color, step-by-step photography walks you through a variety of traditional gansey techniques and construction methods, plus contemporary sources for traditional gansey yarns are shared, making this as vital to your knitting library as the original.

Ganseys are hardwearing sweaters traditionally knitted for fishermen in and around the British Isles. Today, the styling and history of ganseys is as popular as ever and this collection of stitch patterns and projects brings the history of ganseys to a new audience. Learn all about the techniques used for knitting ganseys with this comprehensive sourcebook from experts in the subject, Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell. Di and Sheila are knitwear designers and makers based in Scotland where they teach regular workshops on traditional gansey techniques. Discover all the techniques you need to make an authentic gansey sweater with their special features which were developed for warmth and comfort in what were often, harsh conditions out at sea. Ganseys were designed with a special under arm gusset and a shoulder seam which prevented chaffing and improved movement for the wearer even when the jumper got wet and heavy. The authors explain these techniques with step-by-step instructions and artworks so you can replicate these details in your own work. Another key element to the gansey is the stitch pattern which was specific to the local area and often had a symbolism beyond the pattern itself and, some hoped, would act as a charm to keep the fishermen safe while they were out at sea. This collection features a comprehensive directory of 150 gansey stitch patterns so you can choose your favourite designs and motifs and learn which patterns were important to the fishermen in different areas. There are also 10 patterns for garments and accessories so you can practise your skills. The projects include a child's traditional gansey sweater so you can try out your skills on a traditional sweater but on a small scale. There are also some contemporary takes on the traditional gansey using lighter weight yarn and design details: these include a beautiful sweater with a gansey yoke; a contemporary take on the fisherman's kep; a gansey stitch cowl; a pair of mittens and socks; and light linen tank top. The smaller projects such as the mittens and hats are great for practising your skills before you attempt one of the larger projects.

Fully illustrated guide features 82 patterns for traditional fishermen's sweaters. Collected from sources throughout the British Isles, these sweaters and cardigans for men and women range from lightweight jerseys to heavier guernseys.

A powerful new novel about divided loyalties and the realities of war from “master storyteller” (Wall Street Journal) Sebastian Barry, author of Old God's Time In 1914, Willie Dunne, barely eighteen years old, leaves behind Dublin, his family, and the girl he plans to marry in order to enlist in the Allied forces and face the Germans on the Western Front. Once there, he encounters a horror of violence and gore he could not have imagined and sustains his spirit with only the words on the pages from home and the camaraderie of the mud-covered Irish boys who fight and die by his side. Dimly aware of the political tensions that have grown in Ireland in his absence, Willie returns on leave to find a world split and ravaged by forces closer to home. Despite the comfort he finds with his family, he knows he must rejoin his regiment and fight until the end. With grace and power, Sebastian Barry vividly renders Willie’s personal struggle as well as the overwhelming consequences of war.