The Exhibition Orkney Gansey by Elizabeth Lovick

The Exhibition Orkney Gansey

Knitting
April 2012
Aran (8 wpi) ?
19.5 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches
in main body pattern
US 7 - 4.5 mm
US 6 - 4.0 mm
46" chest only
English
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This gansey was designed and knitted as a modern interpretation of Orkney fishermen’s ganseys. It was knitted in North Ronaldsay wool, grown and spun on North Ronaldsay, Orkney, for the “Wool and Sheep around the Atlantic Sea” Exhibition which is touring the North Atlantic Rim countries in 2012/13

Orkney fishermen’s ganseys borrowed features from England, Scotland, Shetland, the Faro Islands and Scandinavia. They were knitted on thick wool, often home spun from the local North Ronaldsay sheep. They often had zipped necks, a feature also seen in Norway, and used both the knit/purl patterns of England and Scotland and the stranded knitting patterns of the Shetlands and Scandinavia.

Materials
North Ronaldsay aran weight wool in the following amounts:
MC - natural white 900g
CC1 - fawn 100g
CC2 - mid grey 100g
CC3 - dark grey 100g
pair 4 and 4.5 mm (US 6 and 7) needles
heavy brass zip at least 11” long
row counter

One Size Only
Chest 46” Length 30” Sleeve 23”