Gansey Knitting Kits

Each Gansey Knitting Kit contains the appropriate quantity of 5-ply worsted Guernsey wool, a set of five double- ended 2.5 mm steel needles, individual body and sleeve charts, and full instructions for the pattern of your choice,  contained in a cotton drawstring bag. A copy of the fully illustrated soft-back book "Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys & Arans" by Gladys Thompson is also available as an optional extra.  The 5-ply worsted Guernsey wool is also available separately at a cost of £24.50 per 250 grams plus postage. Please note that our charts and instructions are only available as part of the Knitting Kit and are not sold separately. Also all colours are now only available on cones wound to the appropriate weight for the size of Knitting Kit. Also available is a Kit to knit a classic Flamborough pattern Gansey hat (please see below)

Sizing Information for machine-knits [Additional sizing information for hand-knitted Ganseys can be found here.] Size exchanges can be a nuisance but can, hopefully, be avoided if you follow our sizing guidelines. If possible, select a similar style of knitwear or T-shirt which you currently wear and feel comfortable in, and measure across the chest, from underarm to underarm, as shown in the image above. Double this measurement to arrive at the actual garment size. Then compare the measurement of your garment, in inches, to the ones shown on each product page. Please do not confuse the measurements we show on each page with a person’s body measurement; the measurements listed are the actual dimensions of our knitwear and Breton shirts. A size 44 Guernsey sweater, for example, will measure 44 inches all round, but this does not fit a 44 inch chest, it will be suitable for someone with a chest measurement of 40 or 42 inches. Please do take the time to measure your own garments before you order, to prevent size exchanges. We keep our costs to a minimum, to offer the best possible price, and will have to pass on the cost of return postage for exchanged items.

Knitting Kits :

Pricing Information We are not part of the VAT (Value Added Tax) scheme. All prices shown on this web-site are NET with postage only to be added to mail orders. Details of postage charges for UK and International destinations are shown on the "Ordering" page.

Authentic hand-knitted Ganseys   Gansey Knitting Kits Traditional knitwear   Armor Lux Breton shirts

[PLEASE NOTE: This is a sample: all the relevant details will be included on the actual sheet of instructions included with the kit.]

INSTRUCTIONS FOR KNITTING A GANSEY

AREA DESIGN:          SIZE:             _______            TENSION:     ___ stitches to the inch Cast on ___ sts evenly over 4 size 2.5 mm needles using the wool double in the thumb method. K2, P2 for ___, keeping the wool double for the first five rounds. Add __ sts after the welt. Knit _____ rounds of plain knitting in which you establish two purl sts on each side of the Gansey. This is a seam line and runs up the body and down the underside of the arms, forming the basis for the gussets under the arm and the point of division for knitting the armholes. The pattern now begins; note the first and last row of stitches on the design chart are the two purl sts mentioned above. Usually, the complete pattern is on ___ rows. Work the pattern from bottom left hand corner of chart, until work measures ____. Note: Dark squares – purl, white squares – knit. Work ___st cable every ___ rows as shown by line on chart. Then begin the increase for the gussets under the arm. Continuing in pattern on the next round, increase ___ knit sts in the centre of the ___ purl sts on each side of the body. This is the beginning of the gusset. Increase ___ knit st each side of the centre ___ knit sts on the next round and every ____ round till gusset is ___ sts wide. At this point divide for the front and back to continue in pattern on two needles by slipping the gusset stitches on to a holder, also slip stitches for the back on to a holder. Continue to work the front in pattern until the work measures the nearest full pattern to ____, keeping the outside purl stitch and single knit stitch as the armhole edge. Place the centre ____ sts for the neck on a holder and stitches for one shoulder on a holder. Knit the other shoulder strap in ___ rows knit and ___ rows purl for ____ rows. Put these on a holder and repeat this for the other shoulder (this forms the neck shaping). Repeat for back then graft the stitches together on the inside of the shoulders. NECK.  Pick up evenly the ___ sts each from front and back together with the stitches from the shoulder edge (____ sts in all). K1, P1, rib for neck worked into the back of all stitches for ____. Cast off loosely ribwise using wool doubled. SLEEVES.  Pick up evenly around armhole ____ sts including gusset. Purl ___ st each side of gusset, that is, the picked up stitches. Work ____ full patterns down (from the sleeve chart), keeping the centre stitch of the diamond directly on the shoulder seam. Note, the remaining stitches between the edge of the sleeve pattern and the sleeve seam to be in stocking stitch. Decrease ___ st on either side of the seam stitches every ___ round until the gusset is worked out. Then, remembering to keep the ___ purl sts for the seam, decrease every ___ round until the sleeve measures ____, then back to every ___ round until ___, then every ___ round until ___. Work stocking stitch to the required length allowing a minimum of ____ of rib. Cast off in rib with wool doubled. Average sleeve length ___.

Shown at left is a Gansey knitted by Carolyn Swinton from one of our Kits. Carolyn wrote to us: “ I've just completed my first gansey! Proudly modelled by my son. The longer sleeves and thumb holes were his special request.  I just wanted to thank you for the excellent quality yarn and the very well explained pattern that resulted in such a lovely garment.  Now the rest of my family want one too!! Expect further orders soon! “

Carolyn Hobbs writes: “Hello, I just wanted to show you my first attempt at a gansey made from one of your kits.  It’s not without the odd fault but overall I and my son (the model) are delighted with it!  I found the instructions easy to follow and the yarn is lovely!  I’ve made two more since this one and intend to knit more in the future.”

Flamborough Marine Your source for authentic hand-knitted Ganseys, Gansey Knitting Kits, plus a range of quality, traditional knitwear and Armor Lux pure cotton Breton shirts We pride ourselves on our personal attention to detail. If you are at all unsure about any aspect of our products, telephone, write or e-mail us with your query which will be answered promptly and, we hope, knowledgeably. We wish to ensure that you are completely satisfied before making a purchase, as well as after.

Knitting Kits   Prices for large or smaller kits are available on request. When ordering a kit please specify the colour of wool required and the exact size. If initially unsure of which pattern to choose, this can be sent for later.  

Shipping Charges   For orders outside the U.K. postage is charged at actual cost using the standard Air Mail tariff. Postage charges for orders sent to a U.K. address vary depending on the items ordered. Please refer to the "Ordering" page for further details.  

Size (inches) Size (cm)    FULL KIT STANDARD KIT (with book) (without book) 36 inches   92cm   £105.00   £90.00 38 inches   97cm   £115.00 £100.00 40 inches 102cm   £125.00 £110.00 42 inches 107cm £135.00 £120.00 44 inches 112cm   £145.00 £130.00 46 inches 117cm   £155.00 £140.00 48 inches 122cm   £165.00 £150.00 50 inches 127cm £175.00 £160.00 52 inches 132cm   £185.00 £170.00 54 inches 137cm £195.00 £180.00

Gansey Knitting Kit Supplied with each kit is a customized set of instructions applicable to the size required. We have, in so far as is possible, taken the guesswork out of knitting a Gansey. A sample of an instruction template appears below. The variables are left blank in this example but will, naturally, be filled in on the sheet accompanying the kit.

International Orders   We can ship to most destinations. Please note, however, that as the currency exchange rates change on a daily basis, it is impossible to provide a conversion table for other currencies. Please also note that payment must be made in British Pounds Sterling (GBP). Due to high conversion charges, we cannot accept payments in other currencies.