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

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.

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 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