by Bristol Ivy
AT THE LIGHTHOUSE
TABLE OF CONTENTS intro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 astragal cardigan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9 daymark shawl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 10-13
lanthor n pullover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 14-17
fresnel hat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-21
I have always loved traditional fisherman’s sweaters. The practical gansey, worked in an iconic knit-purl
texture, has its roots and traditions in the Channel Islands off the southeast coast of England. The tales behind the beginnings of these sweaters are legend and varied, but they are firmly rooted in the fishing villages and quays along the eastern coast of Britain. When I started thinking about how I might interpret these traditions into my own voice and through my own lens, my mind kept turning to the women of these coastal communities: strong, capable, fearless women who mended nets, processed herring, and tended the lighthouses, and whose work in the community was just as important as that of the men. I grew up in Maine, an ocean away from these communities, but surrounded by stories of women just like their counterparts on that other coast. I have loved the tales of their courage against long odds, their perseverance in the face of a hard life and harsh land. In this collection, I wanted to honor the connection these women forged between the land and the sea, and between the traditions of the past and the hopes for the future. These patterns are a second generation of traditional gansey knitting, inspired by and designed for the women with calloused hands, clear eyes, firm land beneath their feet, and salt sea in their blood. Some of my favorite stories growing up were those of the women who lived and worked in the lighthouses up and down Maine’s coast. I’ve also always loved the idea of a lighthouse as an indelible link between the land and the sea. And so the four pieces in this collection are named after parts in the anatomy of a lighthouse. Astragal, a cardigan whose turned back fronts create deeply textured pockets, is named after the uprights between the huge windows of the lanthorn room. Daymark, a triangular shawl with allover garter and texture patterning, is named for the painted color patterns on the external face of the lighthouse. Lanthorn, a modern update of the traditional gansey sweater shape with its three-quarter length sleeves, a high cowl neck, and waist shaping, is named after the room at the top of the lighthouse that contains the lens itself. And Fresnel, a slouchy beanie with a diagonal textured panel, is named after the lighthouse lens itself, designed to refract and intensify the light across the foggy sea. Each piece has strong influences in the gansey knitting tradition and in the tailored, clean lines of menswear. But each is also grounded in wearable, modern, feminine details and shapes. These pieces are just the tip of the iceberg for me of both the gansey knitting tradition and the stories of strong, working women throughout history. They further my belief that knitting can hold such meaning and represent so many threads of different women’s lives. I hope these garments will become a treasured thread of your knitting story, as well!
Bristol Ivy 4
5
Astragal
7
8
Astragal Cardigan yarn: osprey color: storm
9
Daymark
Daymark Shawl yarn: chickadee color: honey
12
Lanthorn
15
Lanthorn Pullover yarn: lark color: carrie’s yellow
16
17
Fresnel
18
Fresnel Hat yarn: lark color: slate
20
22
23