The Design

“Enduring tradition and all-weather style.”

We love the tradition and history of ganseys—warm, durable, supple garments originally developed to protect seafarers from the cold and sea spray! This cute pillbox hat, with a flat circular top, pays tribute to that beloved sweater. We’ve provided two traditional gansey pattern charts—”Nautical Flags” and “Tree Line”, but you can also create your own!

We chose Isager , a traditional woolly wool, for our Seaworthy Gansey Caps. Inspired by the 1960s yarn creations of knitwear designer Åse Lund Jensen, this DK-weight yarn echoes Scandinavian knitting traditions. Wool is responsibly sourced from New Zealand and from European Gotland sheep and spun in Denmark into a classic, 3-yarn with a firm, even spin. Jensen is an excellent choice for textured knits, providing crisp stitch definition!

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The Details

FINISHED SIZE
Medium adult: Approx. 22"/56cm around. See the Knitters' Notes for more information on sizing.

YARN
2 skeins (136 yds/125m each); Or approx. 200 yds/183m of an equivalent light DK-weight yarn.

Nautical Flags shown in color 32S; Tree Line shown in color 85 Pine.

NEEDLES & NOTIONS
US 2 (2.75mm) 16"/40cm circular and double-points, or size to obtain gauge. Note: We recommend metal needles for strength as this is a vigorous knit!
8 locking stitch markers (1 in a different color to designate beginning of round).
Darning needle to finish.
7½""/19cm diameter plate or circle of heavy cardboard for blocking.

GAUGE
26 sts/36 rounds = 4"/10cm in stockinette stitch, blocked.
26 sts/approx. 48 rounds = 4"/10cm in chart pattern, blocked.

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KNITTER'S NOTES
This hat is designed to fit with little or no stretching so that the sides stand straight. If you wish to increase the size a little, you can fine tune the fit with blocking. For a smaller hat, you can work to a slightly tighter gauge on a smaller needle and block to fit.

This pattern provides two traditional gansey pattern charts—one simple and one more complex. It also tells you how to swap in your favorite texture chart.