I’m again using some of the rustic, undyed wool spun for/by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust from the rare breed sheep grazing on their nature reserves. As you walk down Spurn Road towards Spurn Point (as I very much like to do), you see some of these sheep grazing in the fields: mainly Hebridean and Charollais sheep (there is some information about these sheep, conservation grazing, and how the wool is shorn and spun on a podcast which I’ll find a link to in due course: here, YWT info starts about 46mins in).

The Hebridean/alpaca yarn comes in 3 natural colours: brown, black and grey and I’m using all three, plus the cream Charollais/alpaca wool as the MC. It’s knitting up into a really firm fabric: definitely gale-proof!

The pattern is a 1981 Patons one which I found amongst my mum’s knitting patterns recently (it’s a waistcoat pattern designed for Patons Fiona, no 1823). The back is plain with fair isle patterning on the fronts. I’m upping the needle sizes and following the smallest (32”) pattern instructions as I’m finding the yarn knits more as a worsted, than a DK, weight.

Useful technique (scroll down) for avoiding cast-off seam zigzags (as with the shoulder instructions on this ‘vintage’ pattern!).

22.11: almost finished, awaiting a 5th ball of Charollais to finish the front ribbing, and some wooden buttons. I think this might just turn out pretty well, despite juggling with yarn/gauge/sizing - and winging it quite a bit!

1.12: very wearable over loads of tops, and super-efficient for maintaining core temperature in the face of a brisk north-easterly…

11.12: photo of some Charollais along Spurn Road this morning - really alert, friendly sheep. Couldn’t find the Hebrideans though…

Jan 2017: just uploaded a photo of the original Patons pattern.

Sweater #30 2016