The Great Gansey pullover boat-neck sweater, a free knitting pattern from Knitty.com. Free knitting pattern for a short-sleeved gansey-style pullover with a wide boat neck.
INTRODUCTION
The Great Gansey
I find that sometimes I want something easy to knit and then I promptly get bored, start some lace and proceed to mess up because I’m watching anime in Japanese and I still have to read the subtitles. So I designed this to be an interestingly simple project. The Gansey chart is only a 12-stitch repeat, there are rows of welts, which serve as resting rows, and the finished result looks more complicated than it is.
It’s also a good project to practice reading your knitting. You have to know what your previous stitch was to know what your next stitch should be on increase rows. Since the Gansey pattern only involves knit and purl stitches it’s an ideal project for the beginner knitter. Yarn dieters will also appreciate the minimal amount of skeins needed to complete an entire garment.
As the fall temperatures approach wear your Gansey on its own or layer it to chase the chill away!
model: Kalliopi Aronis
photos: Gail Aronis
SIZE
Women's XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X]
shown in size M, worn with 5 inches/12.5 cm positive ease at chest
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 34.5[36.75, 41.5, 45.5, 48.75, 53.5, 57.5] inches/ 87.5[93.5, 105.5, 115.5, 124, 136, 146] cm
Length: 18.5[19, 19.25, 19.5, 19.75, 20, 20] inches/ 47[48.5, 49, 49.5, 50, 51, 51] cm
MATERIALS
Yarn
Cascade Yarns 220 Sport [100% Peruvian Highland Wool; 164 yd/150 m per 50g skein]; color: 9420; 4[5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6] skeins
Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set US #4/3.5mm double-point needles
32-inch US #4/3.5mm circular needle
32-inch US #6/4mm circular needle
Notions
stitch markers
yarn needle
GAUGE
20 sts/32 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch and pattern stitch with larger needles
PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]
Front and Back are worked the same, and are knit flat and seamed together.
Circular needles are used to accomodate the number of stitches.
Two selvedge stitches are include on each side of the front and back. These are worked in stockinette stitch throughout (knit on RS, purled on WS). I recommend placing stitch markers before and after the two selvedge sts on each side and between every repeat of the pattern. This will ensure keeping in pattern on increase rows.
Instructions for the Cable Cast On can be found here.
Here's helpful info about Pick Up and Knit.
Chart is read from right to left on RS and left to right on WS.
Not all rows of the chart will be needed for each size – work the appropriate rows for your size as given below.
XS: Rows 1-126
S: Rows 1-130
M: Rows 1-132
L: Rows 1-134
1X: Rows 1-136
2X and 3X: Rows 1-138
CHARTS
Note: The chart above is broken in half to make it more manageable. As always, start the chart at Row 1 and work your way up.
DIRECTIONS
Back and Front (make two)
With smaller needle, CO 65[69, 75, 85, 95, 107, 115] sts.
Row 1 [RS]: K2, *p1, k1, rep from * to last st, k1
Row 2 [WS]: P2, *k1, p1, rep from * to last st, p1
Work in rib as established for 2 inches/5 cm (16 rows total), ending with a WS row. AT THE SAME TIME, in the last row, decrease 1[1, -, -, -, 1, 1] or increase -[-, 1, 1, 1, -, -] sts. Switch to larger needle. 64[68, 76, 86, 96, 106, 114] sts.
Keeping the first and last 2 sts of the row as selvedge sts, begin with the first[eleventh, seventh, second, ninth, fourth, twelvth] st of the chart and rep to the last 2 sts.
Work 5[4, 4, 2, 4, 3, 3] rows in pattern, maintaining selvedge sts.
Inc row: work 2 selvedge sts, m1, work in pattern to last 2 sts, m1, work 2 selvedge sts.
Rep these 6[5, 5, 3, 5, 4, 4] rows 13[7, 16, 1, 15, 9, 17] times total, then rep the Inc Row every -[6th, -, 5th, -, 5th, -] row -[7, -, 15, -, 7, -] times. 90[96, 108, 118, 126, 138, 148] sts.
Work in pattern for 4[5, 0, 0, 1, 3, 2] rows.
Using the Cable Cast On, CO 12[13, 14, 15, 16, 15, 16] sts at the beginning of the next two rows. Work these added sts in St st for the first row after CO to make seaming easier.
Next row [RS]: Keeping the first and last 2 selvedge sts in stockinette on each edge, work in pattern, beg with the twelfth[eighth, first, seventh, second, ninth, third] st.
Continue in pattern as est for 41[45, 49, 53, 57, 61, 65] more rows, ending with a WS row.
Neckband
Next row: Work 32[35, 39, 44, 49, 53, 58] sts in St st, work center 50[52, 58, 60, 60, 62, 64] sts in 1x1 rib, work remaining sts in St st.
Repeat this row 6 more times.
BO all sts in pattern.
Seam sides, sleeves and shoulders.
Sleeve ribbing
Using DPNs and beginning at the seam, pick up and knit 3 sts for every 4 rows making sure to pick up an even number of sts. Join to work in the round.
Work in 1x1 rib around for a total of 4 rounds.
BO in pattern.
FINISHING
Weave in ends and block to measurements
MEASUREMENTS
A: 18.5[19, 19.25, 19.5, 19.75, 20, 20] inches/ 47[48.5, 49, 49.5, 50, 51, 51] cm
B: 2 inches/5 cm
C: 23[24.5, 27.25, 29.75, 31.75, 33.75, 35.75] inches/ 58.5[62, 69, 75.5, 80.5, 85.5, 91] cm
D: 10[10.5, 11.5, 12, 12, 12.5, 12.75] inches/ 25.5[26.5, 29, 30.5, 30.5, 32, 32.5] cm
E: 12[12.75, 14.5, 16. 5, 18.5, 20.5, 22] inches/ 30.5[32.5, 37, 42, 47, 52, 56] cm
F: 34.5[36.75, 41.5, 45.5, 48.75, 53.5, 57.5] inches/ 87.5[93.5, 105.5, 115.5, 124, 136, 146] cm
G: 2.75[3, 3, 3.25, 3.5, 3.25, 3.25] inches/ 7[7.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9, 8.5, 8.5] cm
H: 6.25[6.75, 7.25, 7.75, 8.25, 8.75, 9.25] inches/ 16[17, 18.5, 19.5, 21, 22, 23.5] cm
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Kalliopi Aronis lives in the bustling city of New York. After teaching herself to knit she became completely obsessed and ended up with a china cabinet full of yarn and one exasperated mother. Designing gives her the perfect excuse to add new yarn to her collection.
She can be found on Ravelry as KallyA.
Pattern & images © 2016 Kalliopi Aronis. Contact Kalliopi