I hope you all are having a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate it, and if you don't I hope you have at least had a lovely rest!!!
I have been at my parents home in Liverpool for the last few days where I've come to realise, my favourite part of Christmas is actually the days in between Christmas day and New Years Eve. If your lucky enough not to have to work, they are the least pressure filled and most relaxing of any time of the year, perfect for self-indulgent crafting whilst watching films you've loved since childhood, feasting on leftovers turned into ingenious meals, and spending time with the ones you love, it's bliss!
This year I decided against making myself a Christmas outfit for the big day, as to be honest I already have lots of dresses which seldom get an outing, it seemed extravagant to add another one to the collection. Plus after the trouble I had with last years dress (I'll actually be blogging about that soon, better late than never I guess!) I didn't much feel like another battle, so instead of showing off something wonderful and new I am going to give you a better look at a stalwart of many Christmases now, my 'Perfect Christmas Jumper'.
I first blogged about this jumper back in January 2011, I'd endeavoured to finish knitting it by Christmas a few weeks earlier but managed to miss that by just one month! It was the first time that I had knitted anything with Fair Isle and Intarsia so I found it a bit of a struggle, but once it was done it was certainly worth all of the tangled messes I got myself into, as it's been worn every Christmas since!
It was also the fist time I'd knitted long full-length sleeves, which I remember at the time being never ending. I am so glad now that I persevered as they are lovely and long and just the perfect length, something which I have struggled to achieve since, I think my eagerness to get wearing my latest project can make me a little optimistic on how much I have actually knitted and so the sleeves tend to come up a little on the short side (I am talking about you, Date Maker).
I have been at my parents home in Liverpool for the last few days where I've come to realise, my favourite part of Christmas is actually the days in between Christmas day and New Years Eve. If your lucky enough not to have to work, they are the least pressure filled and most relaxing of any time of the year, perfect for self-indulgent crafting whilst watching films you've loved since childhood, feasting on leftovers turned into ingenious meals, and spending time with the ones you love, it's bliss!
This year I decided against making myself a Christmas outfit for the big day, as to be honest I already have lots of dresses which seldom get an outing, it seemed extravagant to add another one to the collection. Plus after the trouble I had with last years dress (I'll actually be blogging about that soon, better late than never I guess!) I didn't much feel like another battle, so instead of showing off something wonderful and new I am going to give you a better look at a stalwart of many Christmases now, my 'Perfect Christmas Jumper'.
~ Perfect Christmas Jumper ~
Pattern By:
Yarn:
5 100g Balls Robin 4ply Red
1 100g Ball James C. Brett Supersoft Baby Shimmer White
The pattern is another of Susan Crawford's wonderful takes on an original vintage pattern, Susan takes such care over resizing and updating them, that you can always be sure the fit and finish will be as true to the original pattern as possible, and this is no exception, the lovely puff sleeves and colour work, really make this pattern a 1940s classic.
I first blogged about this jumper back in January 2011, I'd endeavoured to finish knitting it by Christmas a few weeks earlier but managed to miss that by just one month! It was the first time that I had knitted anything with Fair Isle and Intarsia so I found it a bit of a struggle, but once it was done it was certainly worth all of the tangled messes I got myself into, as it's been worn every Christmas since!
It was also the fist time I'd knitted long full-length sleeves, which I remember at the time being never ending. I am so glad now that I persevered as they are lovely and long and just the perfect length, something which I have struggled to achieve since, I think my eagerness to get wearing my latest project can make me a little optimistic on how much I have actually knitted and so the sleeves tend to come up a little on the short side (I am talking about you, Date Maker).
The one drawback with this jumper is my choice of yarn. I didn't much care for it at the time but it was a cheap acrylic option when there were very few cheap options available (it's amazing how much more choice we have in 4py yarns a mere five years later!) so it was purely a practical choice, though I do wish I had invested a little more money into it, as the squeaky feel of the fabric has not improved with multiple washes and fabric conditioning, and the colour in real life is a little more brassy than I would have chosen in hindsight, but I still love it and it's certainly striking!
There is one other side effect of this cheap yarn, and perhaps my loose style of knitting, which is the jumper seems to grow a little with each wash. Potentially this could be a problem, however as I only wear it a few times a year it only needs a little washing, and as I have put on a little more weight over the years since I first made it, it has actually grown with me and so has been more of a benefit rather than a problem.
I am actually tempted to knit this up again, in perhaps a just as festive green and white colourway but considering how slowly I knit, though I am getting a little better, I should heed my advice from my last post about this jumper and probably start knitting soon!
Wendy x
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