Wool Barge sweater knitting kit

This gansey style sweater is based on the garments that were worn by people manning the barges carrying raw sheep wool from the sheep farming areas. The sheep were farmed in the Yorkshire Dales and Moors but the Woollen Mills were down in the valleys. Before the railways, canals connected them and barges were used to move the wool to where it was processed.

As with the ganseys of fishermen these sweaters were to protect the wearers from adverse weather. They would be made by the relatives of the barge workers and used similar stitches and construction methods to fisher ganseys.

Level of difficulty: *** More complex.

Measurements (Actual measurements with no allowance. For an easy fit allow 7cm (3”) more than the chest size.)
Chest/Bust 92cm (102cm, 112cm, 124cm, 132cm) 36” (40”, 44” 48” 52”)
Sleeve length 44cm (46cm, 48cm,
(from underarm 49cm, 50cm)
point) 17.5” (18”, 19”, 19.25”, 19.75”)
Body length at back 63cm (66cm, 69cm, 71cm, 73cm) 25” (26”, 27”, 28”, 28.75”)

Materials
Doulton Flock Border Leicester DK – 6 (6, 7, 8, 9) x 100g skeins
Pair 4mm (UK 8, USA 6) straight needles
Up to 10 stitch markers, one in a contrast style/colour.
2 stitch holders

Tension
20 sts x 36 rows on 4mm needles over a 10cm (4”) square in stocking stitch.
To adjust tension, change the size of needle used. Use a larger needle if the tension square is less than 10cm and a smaller needle is the square is more than 10cm.