Well - as the title of this post - Knit of course.
I bought the yarn from this back in 2016. I was supposed to be writing up my PhD and I was not surprisingly in need of some kind of external stimulation. Since I had locked myself away at home to get the job done all I have for stimulation was the internet. Specifically, Ebay.
This in fact is how I started to use Ebay. Until this time I was never interested. Then in 2016 I was a very poor student. Mohair was suddenly back in fashion after 25-30 years. I have always been a fan of mohair and very obsessed by having a high % of it in the yarn I use. It was very expensive to buy new but all of a sudden all those people who had a hoard of old 1980s mohair stuck in airing cupboards and on top of wardrobes got it out and listed it on Ebay.
I bought as much of it as I could knowing this was not likely to last long and I was right in that. It ended at some point the same year. By 2017 the prices were higher and there was very little available. Sadly I only managed to buy enough for probably 6-7 jumpers but hey what a gift.
None of mine is 100% either. I could not afford it despite the prices in fact being very low at around £26 for 500g of 100% mohair. Mine range from the more-affordable-in-the-80s 45-82% mohairs. Thats what I wore then anyway, so good enough, and should last quite a few years. I paid on average about £3-10 for 500-ish gram so much much less than modern new mohair and of course I also got all those lovely 1980s colours which most companies do not currently stock. All you seem to get now is darks or boring pastels!
Mohair yarn was not in fashion in the 2000s. It was hard to find and I had to settle for a low % of mohair when I knitted a mohair jumper back in 2004. It was knitted from pretty poor quality and very expensive yarn that is now not at all fluffy, so worn out, and is only 45%. It has though lasted until now so I am thinking; whatever I knit during this period will take me up to retirement. Then I will probably not be able to knit anymore anyway due to arthritus. I should be able to crochet then tho. It seems thats how it works for most people anyway. So I need to get all this yarn made up into clothing as soon as possible.
The maximum quantity I managed to get in any one colour /type is 500g. I really need 750-800g for a single coloured jumper in for example cable design so thats going to mean lots of stripes or other interesting colourways but I am sure I can make this work. Thats partly why I chose to knit this design first. And of course I always loved this jumper.
I have previously made two other versions of this jumper. Once in the early 80s when I found the pattern in a magazine. The second in the late 80s when I had loved my first version so much I re-knitted it. This version is colour-wise closest to the pattern. When I put it on my other half recognised it and saw me wearing it with dyed black hair which is how I looked as a teen so yes hes definitely seen this before too even though we were not together then.
But in both previous versions I changed the sleeve tops because they are puffed - very 80s. I made them like normal sleeves but they never quite looked right. The pattern also always had sleeves that were a bit tooshort and ended above my wrist meaning Ispent my life pulling them down. Its a fault with the pattern or at least does not fit my body type so this time I took this into account. I originally wondered if it was down to substitute yarn because I always knit with that is affordable rather what the pattern sayd. I do not think it is though because twice they were too short with totally different brands so this time I added about 4cm before starting the chevron pattern on each sleeve. They are actually a bit long but I do like to wear sleeves over my hands so that will not be a problem at all.
The turquoise yarn used for this was actually quite badly faded when I opened the bag it was in. I decided not to send it back and just try knitting it up anyway. In electric lighting you can see where some of the stitches are a different colour. The fading was just the ends of the ball. Like it had bee for 30 years on top of a wardrobe. The person I bought it off may not even have known. Its knitted up Ok anyway as you can see. I will always know its imperfect but my other half who can be very ritical when it comes to knitted jumpers canot tell so I am happy with this regardless and it proves an imperfect yarn can still work well. The pink was actually new - bought at the same time as the second hand. It may still be available. Its not the lovely bright magenta or darker cyclamen you would have had in the 1980s but the closest I could find. The black I bought several odd balls from different places ( all Ebayers) each mixed with other lots of colours and combined them all. They are all the same brand but different dye lots. It does not seem to show at all.
I am very happy with my first attempt at knitting a mohair jumper after all these years.
And of rediscovering all my hoarded 1980s knitting patterns. Now I am going to follow my sewing beliefs, if that is the right terminology, but apply this to knitting.
I decided a while back now that if I am going to keep a pattern book I should make at least one item from every one own. I have, just like my sewing pattern books, got loads of knitting pattern books though I have not bought any new ones since 1985.
Its time to justify keeping them all this time and make at least one item from each. What fun the next few weeks or months are going to be. I have rediscovered knitting.
This jumper was not from a pattern book, but ripped out of a magazine, so this is my starter jumper and it does not count for this aim to justify owning pattern books.
|
| You can see the slightly too long sleeves! |
Mind you I still need to justify keeping it so long. All this paper takes up space after all.
Bracken
No comments:
Post a Comment