This is a long-thought-out and much debated collaboration between my brother Dan and me:

Dan asking me to knit him a V-necked, long sleeved, fair isle pullover in ‘swampy greens’

Clare tracking down a suitable pattern, pondering shades that wouldn’t meld into one big green blob (ie convincing him that he needed some neutral contrasting shades, rather than green as every shade), buying the yarn, and then spending x number of months knitting a complicated fair isle pullover. Good job I really really love my little brother!

I found this pattern on Ravelry and it looked perfect: and I managed to track down the 1980s Patricia Roberts’ book that includes it, and buy it very cheaply online. So now to knit it…

Dan’s measurements (in case I lose the post-it note):
chest 96cm
underarm to bottom rib: 44cm
underarm to cuff: 47cm
sleeve circ at armhole level: 35+cm

Pattern chart: I’ve copied and enlarged it - totally impossible to follow it as it is in the book!

Mods: Knitting in the round to the armholes. I have no hope of achieving such a tight gauge, so: casting on for the 38” size, not increasing after the ribbing, then continuing as for the 34” size stitch-count-wise, plus my brother’s specific measurements. Less deep bottom ribbing: I knitted about 20 rows (rather than 33). Failed to notice that the front v-neck shaping begins before the armhole shaping… … it’s not too disastrous, just decreasing each side of the v every 2 rows, rather than every 3. Neckband: I’ve picked up 52 sts each side of the front (this was from approx. 60 rows, so not too bad a ratio) and have worked it as per the pattern. Also sleeve mods: as below.

Yarn:
Jamieson’s Spindrift:
Spagnum 233 (MC)
Wood Green 318
Sholmit 103
Fern 249
Moorgrass 286
Artichoke 319
Pine Forest 292

Jamieson & Smith:
2 (beige)
82 Mix

12.4: momentous occasion… I have reached the armholes!

30.4: oh dear, gone a bit quiet on this: fair isle knitting (and landscape painting) haven’t been in much evidence as I’ve been plagued with insomnia… stocking and garter are the way to go at the mo! I shall return to this…

5.8: a mere 3 months’ later, long-term health issues resolved and back on the case! Top front and back, and then the sleeves, to knit flat. It will take quite some time still… a lot of concentration needed, colour changes almost every row, and a 30-st/98 row pattern repeat!

1.9: body finished! I’m going to weave in ends and also knit the neckband (see mods ^^^) before I start the sleeves… I was thinking the other day that I will actually weep when I get this pullover finished…

14.9: ends woven in, neckband knitted. And now a self-imposed timetable: sleeve 1 finished by 30 October, sleeve 2 by 22 December. I must have this finished for my brother’s Christmas present!

15.10: first sleeve finished, whoop!!! Have had an epiphany about yarn-ends (after my recent experience of fair isle knitting at Shetland Wool Week 2018) and decided that I’m going to ditch the splicing at the end of just about every row (= painfullyslowknitting), break the yarns at each colour change, and then machine sew the sleeve seams and trim off all those ends… because, why not?!!! Also sleeve caps: quite a bit of adjustment to get the fit right - this is the result of my gauge being way off and accommodating my brother’s particular measurements. Basically, another pain in the butt

30.10: ‘self-imposed timetable’, pahhhh! Oh my giddy aunt… All. The. Knitting. Is. Finished.

10.11: I’ve been super-brave and I’ve now machine-sewn the sleeve seams - a straight stitch, then a parallel zigzag stitch next to it - and then I’ve trimmed all those gazillion ends close to the fabric. Basically they may unravel slightly but the seams will hold them, plus there will be a degree of felting when the garment is washed to further firm things up . Now to set in the sleeves… almost there

12.11: sleeve setting in: arghhhh, I really needed to knit the sleeves about 4 rows less at the top… it’s a squeeze to ease them in. Well, it’s an 80s’ pattern after all, so bouffant is the word; other than that, my brother will need to do some serious body-building, with emphasis on shoulder-muscle-bulking. OK, the other option is blocking… all hail to the blocking board ;)

Final sting in the tail: even after blocking, I’m not happy with the fit at the top of the sleeves, so drastic action has been taken involving a sewing machine and scissors … much better now! I think I’m truly past caring! Actually, experience gained from the Shetland Wool Week tutors I encountered in September has been invaluable in terms of making sure my knitted fabric knows who’s boss

And a few photos of me modelling it: obvs not quite my measurements (he’s a slim guy, about my height, and wanted this to be fitted), but it gives an idea. Hurrah, it’s now out of my hands and winging its way to dear Dan!

16.11: amazing photo just received from my brother, wearing his new pullover. It fits him brilliantly well and he’s thrilled with it… which means that I’m thrilled!