For more information about special events and workshops at Sheep & Shawl, or to register, please call 413-397-3680.
The British Gansey: A Lecture/ Slide Show by Beth Brown-Reinsel Friday, September 14, 2018 7 – 8:30pm Sponsored by Sheep & Shawl, South Deerfield; Free admission, but registration is required for limited seating. Please call 413-397-3680 to register. The lecture/slide show will illustrate the history and construction highlights of this beloved 19th century sweater worn by the fishermen of England, Scotland, and Cornwall. Historic photographs will be shown of the fishermen and the “fisher lassies” who worked alongside them. In addition, photographs of a variety of ganseys, both old and new, will depict the different parts of the gansey and how this garment was a fluid style within a fixed template of construction. At the finish of the slide show, there will be time for Q&A and time for participants to look at the garments brought for display. The next day Beth will teach a day-long workshop on Gansey Techniques.
GANSEY TECHNIQUES: A Day-long Workshop by Beth Brown-Reinsel Saturday, September 15, 2018 9:30 – 4:30 with lunch break Tuition: $150; 10% discount for class materials; 20% discount for Beth’s newly updated & revised 25th anniversary book Knitting Ganseys (not required for class, but a classic!)
Gansey class sample
Class Description: Students will learn how to construct a Gansey, a sweater form prevalent in the 19th century and early part of the 20th century among the fishermen of the British Isles. A small scale sweater will be knitted using traditional construction techniques including the classic Channel Island Cast-on, split welts, seam stitches, traditional knit/purl patterns, the underarm gusset, the perpendicular shoulder join, picked-up sleeves, and three choices for the collar. Alternative methods to these techniques will also be explored.
Level: Intermediate (must be proficient with dp needles, Magic Loop, or working with two circulars)
Class Supply List
• One set of four 7″ long (shorter is OK) dp needles, US size 5 (3.75mm).
“At Sea”, a BB-R design
• One set of four or five 7″ long (shorter is OK) dp needles, US size 7 (4.5mm)
• 3 oz. plain-textured, solid, light-colored worsted weight yarn (approximately 80 yards).
• Optional: 11 1/2″ or 12″ circular needle US size 4.5 mm, st markers, waste yarn, sticky notes or magnetic board to aid in reading the chart. (If you prefer using the Magic Loop or 2 circulars, bring the appropriate needle.)
Homework: None.
Beth Brown-Reinsel has been passionately teaching historic knitting workshops nationally, as well as internationally, for 30 years. Her book Knitting Ganseys has been deemed a classic. The 25th anniversary edition was released in July 2018. She has completed three DVDs: Knitting Ganseys with Beth Brown-Reinsel, Color Stranded Knitting Techniques, Sanquhar Gloves and a Craftsy class on Swedish Twined Knitting. She loves to prowl the storage section of museums around the world to look at old knitted things for inspiration for her patterns and classes, which are well known for her tiny sampler sweater projects which teach technique within the context of a garment. Her articles and designs have appeared in all the major magazines. She continues to design for her own pattern line. Beth’s website, blog, and eNewsletter can be found at www.knittingtraditions.com . She lives in Vermont, USA and loves winter!
