I always get excited about a new crochet or knitting book in my collection, so when I received A Gansey Crochet Home written by Lena Skvagerson, I couldn’t wait to dive in! This book features 10 textured designs inspired by 19th-century British fisherman sweaters, and the idea of finding that style in crochet rather than knitting had me ‘hooked’. But what about the patterns inside?
Gansey is typically associated with knitting, but now you can crochet Gansey designs that mimic the look of knit designs! The Gansey look originated from the Island of Guernsey over 400 years ago. Gansey sweaters were designed for fishermen who spent their days at sea, so they were knitted with tight textured stitches to ensure that the sweater was not only warm but water- and wind-resistant too. In A Gansey Crochet Home you will find that each design is filled with texture and makes a perfect addition to any home. The book includes 10 fresh designs and includes both written instructions and charts.
A Gansey Crochet Home was written by Lena Skvagerson, lead designer at Annie’s, and famous for her Signature Designs Collection. Lena has been designing for years, and this is her first published book! The book arrived with a glossy vinyl cover, and gets straight to the point. The table of contents is the first page that you can flip to, and then the patterns begin.
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Because the patterns begin right away, the only thing I kind of felt was missing from this book was a brief description of the pattern, and maybe a little blurb about the topic – 19th Century British Fisherman Sweaters. That blurb is listed on the cover, and I would have loved a bit more of information about that inspiration throughout as we explore the patterns.
That being said, that’s the only thing I felt was missing because the patterns themselves do not disappoint!
Taking a deep dive into the book, I discovered that about half of the projects are big (afghans etc), and the other half of the projects are quick and small. In order to try it out, I went for one of the smaller projects, the St. Mary’s Gansey Dishcloths.
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This pattern was so much fun to crochet! I loved the care that went into every detail, from the spaces created 2 rows back to facilitate the beautiful cables, to the gorgeous ribbed edging. This is a pattern I would go back to again and again!
Some of my favorite designs inside are the blankets, and I hope to make one, one of of these days, because they look ultra cozy and the remind me exactly of what they were inspired by, a fisherman’s sweater! I love that ribbed and cabled texture, it looks warm and inviting, especially in a nice tweed yarn!
This book contains the written instructions for each of the patterns, along with crochet charts for those who prefer reading charts over the written pattern. I always find this super helpful, especially when working with intricate cables! It’s nice to see exactly where they are meant to go.
Congratulations to Lena on her first book, I could not be more excited for her!
-Happy Crocheting!
Lee
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