Customer Reviews

Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys, and Arans: Fishermen's Sweaters from the British Isles

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am ordering a replacement copy for a book that has been "Read to Death". I have used the patterns in this book for many sweaters; it has a wealth of knit/purl and crossed stitch patterns for people who design their own knits. The sweater patterns themselves are less usefull, as they are knit very tightly in a much finer guage than most knitters would be interested in. Maybe if you have a machine that will do k/p patterning easily (mine won't). The Seahouses pattern is very lovely; I recommend it. It's also a good read for historical information on the history of these garments in the British Isles, and the author's search for information.

when i saw this fabulous book got only four stars.

this in one of my absolute favorite knitting books--only EZ's (elizabeth zimmerman, for those knitters from another galaxy)_knitting without tears_ equals it in my heart. and if a knitter follows the advice and instructions in _knitting without tears_ and becomes a thinking knitter, this book is a delicious piece of cake.

yes, the gauge is british, from the 50s and earlier--before the idea that 'it takes too long' or 'it's too difficult' to use fine weight yarns. yes, you have to know something about knitting cables and purl brocade. but none of that is difficult. i used this book to design the third and fourth garments i knitted, and it has served as inspiration for more.

even if a knitter never actually uses the patterns, the historical information, social and textile, is wonderful.

I love this book! It is part knitting book, part travelogue and very funny. It not only has many authentic patterns but tells the tale of a determined woman trying to collect patterns from real fishermen. A great read! I can't wait to make all the sweaters. A small intro helps the American knitter decode the English instructions and materials notes, which are somewhat difficult to grasp.
Nell

This book is a combination of history and knitting class.

As a history book it is brilliant, alive and sentimental.

It is also a wonderful knitting book except, I do believe you need to be a very experienced knitter to attempt these patterns and the language used in the instructions may be a little confusing.

I consider myself to be a very good knitter but I think this book requires another "picture" book to give more visual help to those of us who need to "see" rather than read instructions.

A wonderful read all the same.

Once more Dover Publishing steps in to insure that good books whose copyright have expired don't simply go out of print forever.

Thompson's book on knitting patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys, & Arans is the result of hundreds of hours of research around the coasts of the British Isles, where each seaport had its own traditional sweater pattern. While this was useful in recognizing drowned sailors, it also is part of the British Folk tradition, which is rapidly vanishing in the face of modern day pursuits, where the young have no time for the old ways. This book preserves many of the traditional patterns of knitting sweaters, called Guernseys, Jerseys, and Arans for the islands on which they originated, so modern knitters can make sweaters in the old patterns, before they are lost forever. A great pattern book for the dedicated knitter, it also preserves these traditional patterns for the time when these sweaters are no longer commonly worn, and stands as an archaeological work of preservation.

Dave

I knew of this book before purchasing and when it arrived I was not disappointed. Gladys Thompson does a wonderful job of guiding a competant knitter through the tricky parts of making Cornish fishermen's sweaters (Ganseys,Geurnseas and Jerseys). Her knitting instructions are mixed with interesting history of the craft and I think the book is quite delightful.

I was surprised at the detailing in this book. It has a wonderful history of the patterns and the areas to which each is specific. The patterns are divided into those places they originated and then what styles as well as specific stitches. Found it very intersting and the book was in excellent shape. I'm very pleased with it.

This is a remake from a book written years ago. It has history of the sweater designs which is very interesting. The women didn't have set patterns written down, but are designs that have been carried down from generation to generation for a particular region. I would consider this book one for more intermediate knitters or those interested in history.

This collection is like having a treasure trove of stitch patterns at your fingertips. The stitch patterns are well diagrammed, and clearly presented.

Ms. Thompson also includes a wonderful discussion of the people she met while researching this guide. It is also a sort of 'knitters travelogue' through the British Isles.

There are complex and simple stitch patterns included. You can think of this as a guide to so many basic stitches used in Gansey sweaters. The Aran patterns include the ground stitches and the very detailed and complex patterns.

This book was like sitting down with my Scottish Great Aunt, having her pass the stitches to me as one would pass a valued inheritance from one generation to the next. It should be on every knitters bookshelf.

This book is an interesting book about the history of Guernsey, Jerseys, and Arans that also includes patterns and designs of classic sweaters. Many of the patterns can be updated for todays sweaters.

I must confess that I enjoy knitting cables and twist stitch patterns. The Aran section in the back of the book appeals to me more than the first 2/3rds of the book. This may not be true for another person.

This book is worth having in your knitting library...especially if you enjoy reading about the history of knitting in the different regions.