West – Jumper

“Fishermen walked on the unfamiliar element of land with deliberate strides, arms held out penguin fashion as if the ground might suddenly tilt beneath their feet.”

Threads – The Delicate Life of John Craske. Julia Blackburn.

From the Olive and George collection, drawing inspiration from the Norfolk fishermen’s Gansey jumpers of the 19th and early 20th centuries, West is a unisex Gansey jumper designed to be pulled on, on a blustery summer’s day.

The name West comes from a long line of Sheringham fisherman, including “Teapot” and “Red Eye”- each with a story to tell! The family had their own Gansey patterns and stitches passed down from mother to daughter through 4 generations. This particular pattern of “Herringbone” and “Rung” stitches probably originates from a stitch the “Scotch Fisher Girls” brought with them along the coast and which were then incorporated into the family design by Ann West in the 1970’s.

My version of the West Gansey has fashion back shoulders, a neat but open crew neck and boxy silhouette which makes the jumper feel light and airy for the British spring and summer time. The sleeves are a regular length with a drop shoulder tapering in to the cuff, like the original Gansey knits, which makes them easy to wear over dresses and blouses. The “Herringbone” design has been enlarged and re-positioned to just above the rib, and continues uninterrupted around the bottom half of the jumper.