Knitting recipes from the Cornish Coast.

Gansey Folk

At the far south west of the British Isles, where the pace of life is slow and boats are sailing from dawn to dusk, you will find beautiful Cornwall. A coastal county steeped in legends and of shanty songs where locals share stories of perilous seas and shipwrecks. Throughout history and to the present day the hardworking Cornish fisherfolk can still be seen wearing the classic Cornish Gansey.

The traditional design of this practical and iconic knitwear have been passed down through families and communities with gusseted arms, cables and patterns evoking local traditions and harbour communities. The structure of the Gansey gives the owner a warm and none-restrictive garment which can provide a lifetime of warm protection from the wet and windy storms that batter the coast of Cornwall.

Our version of the Gansey follows the same assembly of a traditional construction. But with slight variations to suit a contemporary silhouette including arm shaping, a gusset armhole construction, and optional neck shaping within the pattern.

Sizes
1(2:3:4:5:6)

Yarn: Approx.1150(1400:1675:1925:2100:2175) meters of 4-ply-weight yarn in total.

To fit chest
71-76(81-87:91-97:102-107:112-117:122-127)cm

Actual Chest (before gusset) 88(99:110:121:131:142)cm
Actual Chest (including gusset) 101(112:123:134:144:155)cm

Fitting Guide: Approx. 10–12cm positive ease on chest (not including gusset).