Purple cotton hand knit jumper

This has taken me ages to sew up. I finished knitting it more than a month ago. I hate the sewing up part but decided I really should get round to it because I am nearing the end of another jumper now and its still there waiting for me. So I spent the entire morning sewing this and here it is.

Though the sleeves are a bit too long really.  Usually I aim for that with a winter jumper because I seem to pull them over my hands. Possibly its to do with having Raynauds and the yarn keeps my hands from going numb.

Its the exact same pattern as my orange fluffy jumper but this time I measured the length right so its not cropped. I actually think its better in a less fluffy yarn, though the pattern is made for mohair apparently. The yarn is Drops Paris 100% cotton and was bought new which is of course very unusual for me who usually buys Ebay second hand yarns Its a lovely dark purple ( darker than it looks in these phots actually, which I can see me wearing loads and is meant to be an aran weight hence I can get away with knitting this pattern. It does though feel quite a loose knit but I think personally I prefer to have looser and softer than that very tight hard feeling knitting you often get with cotton hand knits so that doesn't bother me, though of course it will wear out quicker than a tighter knitted one would. Its also less likely to get as dirty as the white one I made in cotton. I wear that for half an hour and it looks mucky! Hence I do not wear it very often which is a shame bearing in mind the effort that went into knitting that one.

 I really like knitting this. It is not a difficult pattern like the white cotton jumper I knitted - that was seriously difficult. I mean arans are easier than that pattern! It really stretched me to say the least. I enjoyed knitting this pattern though, because its not too simple - as in you do need to concentrate but its easy to find where you cock up and correct it as well, when you forget where you are so its a very rewarding thing to knit. Also its relatively easy to keep in the pattern as you increase at the sleeve seams which gives it a nice all over pattern not the usual stocking stitch sides and I like that. 

I may knit a few more of this one, because I enjoy it - but in other yarns. Its very effective but not too simple (like the blue one - I got bored knitting that one) and not too difficult like the white lace. Also which I have not shown here but you could turn this over because its just as good on the reverse giving two different patterns for the one instructions. I may try that next time. So I suppose it suits my ability. I won't repeat this jumper just now though because I need the variation of knitting something else, but its a good one for me to remember I think.I am on a roll with knitting right now as well, and don't want to spoil that. Having been unable to get going for years, I do not want to go starting something, get bored and stash it half made, because if that happens I am likely to stop knitting again and it could be 25 years or more before I start knitting again. It was actually 28 years the last time that happened, and if I had not had an operation I probably would still not have started up knitting again.

I am so happy how it turned out. I had the idea cotton would look good in this pattern and yes it does. Its from a Sanda magazine for the 80s - see my older post for details on that https://brackencrafts.blogspot.com/2020/01/orange-fluffy-jumper.html

 

I have more of the purple and the white cotton yarns and also a few balls of pale blue that I picked up yesterday in a charity shop in Coventry and some bright green I bought via Ebay, so I could make another cotton jumper or cardigan but I feel its getting too close to autumn now and if I make something else I probably will not wear it till next year. So I think its now time to do Autumn knitting and put the cotton back into the stash. I much prefer the softer yarns you make winter jumpers from rather than knitting cotton which feels so coarse on the hands and weighs far to much for my wrists.

My next jumper(s) then are Autumn / Winter ones which I need right now when its cold because I squashed the ones I already have into a vacuum storage bag so until I open it and get them back again I haven't any, I have only summer jumpers/ clothing. I do not really want to go delving into my winter clothing right now so they are lost for the next couple of months so I reckon time for a nice fluffy( maybe) winter jumper. As I mentioned I have one half made but its at the last few rows - its in the round too so very little sewing up.......... but I will show you in a few weeks.

 I am now though deciding what to begin. I usually start the next one before I quite finish the last one because when I am tired and need a rest, I can just do the ribbing which I find really tedius. Its not so bad though if done between other " more concentratey" things. Sometimes I even knit the ribbed edges for a differnt jumper before finishing the first one and then do the intersting bits all at once.

Well this one will be a good on for the end of summer and into autumn I think and hopefully will still be good for next spring.

Thanks for popping over have a lovely day

Bracken