Lucky Gansey

Have you seen the new Crossings book from Knit Picks? It’s a collection of 12 sweaters and wraps all showcasing classic cables. My contribution to the book is the Lucky Gansey, an all-over cabled fisherman style sweater worked from the top down.

Lucky Gansey shoulder shaping

 

The sweater starts with a cable at the back neck which spans the saddle shoulders and continues down the sleeves. Shoulder shaping is worked into the saddles to keep the drop shoulders from becoming too voluminous or droopy.

 

A side view of the sweater showing the underarm gusset

 

The sweater is worked flat to the underarms, then the gusset stitches are cast on and the body is worked in the round to the hem. Underarm gussets are a classic element of fisher Ganseys, allowing sweaters to be form fitting without being restrictive.

 

The cables at the front

 

The Lucky Gansey gets its name from the cables I chose. The cables adorning the front and back of the sweater are knitted representations of horseshoes, wishbones, X’s and O’s, and honeycomb, all symbols of good luck.

 

 

The pattern calls for Knit picks Wool of the Andes, an affordable, worsted weight, 100% wool yarn that is available in an expansive range of colors. The fisher Gansey shape was historically worn by men, and with a size range from 34″ to 55.25″ around the chest, this sweater could easily be made to fit a man or woman.

Are you a cable knitter? Do you have your eye on one of the designs in this book? Tell me about it in the comments!

Thank you for knitting!