The Gansey is the traditional sweater worn by fishermen around the British Isles. Knitted at a tight gauge to keep the weather out, they are traditionally patterned around the upper body and plainer below, and are the same front and back so that the sweater can be worn either way around to reduce wear on the same parts of the garment and maximise its life. The sweaters are worked in the round, often with a false “seam”, a line of purl stitches, worked up the sides. The motifs and designs used on gansey sweaters would identify a fisherman to his own community.

Aspects of these knitting traditions have been taken and played with to make these Gansey socks. The socks, like the sweaters, are worked in the round using some traditional motifs (and some original ones), with a false-seam of purl stitches at the sides, and they are plain on the feet. Since socks with heels cannot be reversible, the pattern has been reversed such that the back of one sock is the same as the front of the other.

Two sizes are available, Medium to fit 8-8.5” foot circumference and Large to fit 9-9.5” to fit foot circumference.

The socks are worked toe-up with a flap-and-gusset heel. It is written with the magic loop technique in mind, but can also be worked using DPNs (like a gansey sweater, for more authenticity!).

You will need to be able to: work a toe-up cast-on, work in the round, follow a chart (the motif pattern is only charted).

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