Gansey: a needlework pattern for any craft

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The random number generator picked Gansey from the suggestions for this post, suggested by Bookwyrm, one of my Patreon supporters. I should note that this is not a traditional gansey stitch pattern, though I have included a chart that makes it feasible to work as a knit-purl design. (A gansey is a kind of sweater from the island of Guernsey.)

I usually develop a complicated knitting stitch pattern for each word, but I also like to provide a basic chart for any craft that’s worked on a grid: beads, cross stitch, whatever. I also try to provide at least some digital art of the pattern repeated all over not as a chart. It doesn’t necessarily look like a finished object for any particular craft, but I just want to give a sense of it in use. (I try to make it look like knitting when it’s got floats short enough for easy stranded knitting.)

sample image for Gansey: a needlework chart for any craft, by Naomi Parkhurst
Gansey: a needlework chart for any craft, by Naomi Parkhurst
  • I see this making a good border pattern, but of course it can also be repeated or mirrored along the horizontal axis to make an allover pattern. (Try it and see what you think!)
  • I’ve made another version of the chart that’s suitable for knit-purl knitting, below.
  • Designers, please feel free to use this in your patterns (no need to ask). I’d like credit but won’t be offended if people don’t give it.
  • My blog posts and free stitch patterns are supported by subscriptions on Patreon or donations to my Paypal tip jar in the sidebar. If you appreciate my work, please consider helping out. Thanks!

Gansey knit-purl design

Gansey: a knit-purl chart, by Naomi Parkhurst
  • Putting a plain row between every patterned row means that the knit and purl stitches won’t interact in an unexpected manner. Instead, the garter ridges formed by this will make a pattern similar to the original chart.
    It can be worth experimenting to see what the pattern looks like without the plain rows, but I didn’t have the time to try it. If you’re curious, go ahead, and if you do, please show me!

Row 1 (RS): *k2, p1, k2, p5, k2, p1, k1; work from *, k1.

Row 2 (WS): purl.

Row 3: *k1, p1, k2, p2, k3, p2, k2, p1; work from *, k1.

Row 4: purl.

Row 5: *p1, k1, p3, (k1, p1) × 2, k1, p3, k1; work from *, p1.

Row 6: purl.

Row 7: *(k3, p3) × 2, k2; work from *, k1.

Row 8: purl.