For hundreds of years the fishermen of the British Isles have gone to the sea wearing Guernsey and Jersey sweaters. Among landlubbers as well, these sweaters are perennially popular, but, especially in this country, it is often hard to find practical instructions for the patterns that are traditional in Britain.

Here is a book that presents fully 82 different genuine folk patterns for both the lighter weight Jerseys and the heavier Guernseys, and diagrams many more patterns that you can use in your knitting.

The author gives the names of the stitches and patterns traditionally used in making Jerseys and Guernseys, and she tells you exactly how to knit every sweater in this book using those patterns and stitches. Here you will find patterns taken from sweaters found in Yorkshire, Norfolk, the west coast of Ireland, the Scottish Hebrides, and the Aran Islands. These are sweaters that have often been handed down from father to son for several generations, they wear so well.

Instructions for these sturdy sweaters are given row by row for knitting fronts, backs, sleeves, and necks, in the traditional fashion. Each set of instructions is accompanied by a diagram of the pattern and, often, by a photograph of the finished sweater. All of these sweaters can be worn by either men or women, but the author has also provided full directions for making two sets of sweaters and cardigans expressly adapted for ladies' wear. Mrs. Thompson also includes interesting information about the people who gave her the patterns for this book.