Quote Originally Posted by margo49 View Post
Yeah, Lisa that tight British and colonial knitting is particularly obvious in the fishing jerseys and guernseys. The wool had to have a wind-breaking effect as well as being warm in the North Sea, the Irish Sea and the Roaring Forties . None of this arty farty loose knitting on big needles that gets you finished quicker. Even the yarn was thin (4 ply at most). I can remember my grandmother thinking my mother was being lazy using Double-knitting (8 Ply) on our jerseys (sweaters) as children.
Oh, Duck-ie ; I have seen that round-your-finger thing. It is soooo inelegant.

Arrgh... this is making my fingers itchy
That wind-breaking effect also comes from getting the garment wet. Wool retains its insulating properties when wet, at least until it's absolutely saturated, and wet wool is denser (i.e. more windproof) than dry. In sports sailing this is used to add weight when you need to counterbalance the boat by leaning out off the gunnels (so long since I've sailed that I've forgotten what that's called). Also, wool that's been repeatedly soaked and then worn wet will also felt, making it denser still (remember that sweater you mistakenly put in the washer or dryer and that came out doll-sized and stiff as a rug?). Or you can knit loose and oversized, then felt the garment down to size. That's what Norwegian fishermen's garments often went through, especially mittens. They're knitted very big and fairly loose, then felted. Multi-colored knitting also makes the fabric denser, since you're running extra yarns along the back between stitches where they're used, and so effectively getting a 2-layered fabric. I have a North-Norway pair of slippers that are bi-color knitted loose, then felted -- very cozy! And then there are the cable and knot patterns that also thicken the fabric -- plus providing an identification key if a drowned body floats ashore. In other words, lots of techniques for staying warm and dry out on the North Sea that are have now become fashion choices because they're also ... dare one say it? ... pretty.

But now it's time to stop dreaming of knitting and get back to work. I have a project proposal deadline looming