I call this tiny fisherman sweater a gansey, not an aran. I've always thought the distinction between the two was that ganseys or (Guernseys) are knit with knit/purl textures and have horizontal stripes. Aran sweaters are knit with knit/purl texture and cables and have vertical stripes. It's just what I've thought after all my years of knitting and if any of my readers know something different, I'd love to know! I do know that fisherman sweaters in general originated in the British Isles and were knit with thick, naturally colored, lanolin rich wool that would resist wind and rain. The texture that was created with the cables, etc, made a thick fabric which added much needed warmth, not to mention beauty. Fishing villages and families developed their own distinct patterns which aided in identifying at-sea casualties.
I'm in love with this little sweater and it was pure fun to knit. The pattern comes from Little Rowan Cherish by Linda Whaley, a book I reviewed a bit ago, and a book that I adore. The yarn is Rowan Pure Wool DK, a soft machine washable yarn that was recently replaced by Pure Wool Superwash DK--almost the same yarn but now made superwash. Still, the original yarn can go in the washing machine because the one rule I try never to break is to use only machine washable for baby and children's sweaters. The pattern is charted and very easy to memorize with just a quick glance at the chart every few rows.
I loved knitting this little baby fisherman sweater and rather than store it in my gift-stash, I think I'm going to start a new stash and call it, the baby hope chest. Nope, no news to share, and surely we are years away from that, but one can hope and be prepared, right?
Little Rowan Cherish by Linda Whaley
My Ravelry project page
Cute infant hangers are from the Container Store, I bought both this animal set and this zoo set.
Cute infant hangers are from the Container Store, I bought both this animal set and this zoo set.
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Look at my Climbing First Prize below! Here we are in mid September so it's a bit scraggly up close, but from afar, it looks fantastic!
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