Staithe's Pullover #796

#796 Staithes Guernsey. Yarn: Worsted Weight. Level: Seasoned Intermediate. Sizes: 34 through 44. Knit on #5 needles, compacting the worsted weight wool into a sturdy fabric, this Guernsey is my interpretation of the original Staithes on display in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, U.K. In earlier centuries the fishermen’s wives knit some of the beautiful Scottish Fleet patterns into the yokes of the fishermen’s’ ‘ganzees’. The particular pattern stitches used by each knitter identified their families and the garments in turn helped to identify the fishermen. The ancient smock shape, with its simple, clean lines and underarm gussets, has been used worldwide for centuries for traditional work clothes. Although relatively easy to knit, this is not for the timid or faint-hearted, as it requires many hours of knitting! The dense fabric adds to the warmth of the garment. And like all Guernseys, when your knitting is done, the Guernsey is done. It is seamless!