Traditional Dutch Ganseys for Children

‘From around 1875 to 1950, Dutch fishermen wore sweaters with characteristic knit and purl stitch patterns, and sometimes cable. These jerseys, known as ganseys, became an intrinsic part of the identity of the Dutchmen who wore them. Many of the children in these fishing families wore ganseys too, and numerous photos have been discovered in recent years of schoolchildren dressed in the knitwear seen on their fishermen fathers.’

Stella Ruhe returns with over 40 gansey motifs gathered from 30 different Dutch villages. Based on the original patterns shared by families and discovered in archives, Stella reinterprets these historical garments giving them an updated contemporary and minimalist look. Each pattern comes with wealth of background information and historical photos of the original designs.  An inspiring book for the ambitious knitter looking for unique, classic knitwear, and a brilliant read for anyone interested in craft and cultural  history. 

 Please note that instead of individual pattern with clear step-by-step instructions Stella gives general recommendations on how to construct your own sweater by basing your calculations on the tension of your swatch. We’d recommend therefore treating this book as a motif dictionary rather than a collection of pattern per se.