The Huxtable Jumper Pattern

This is my first jumper knitted from wool I spun myself.

The pattern is a heavily modified version of one available free from Tahki Stacey Charles called Simple Pullover

tahkistacycharles.com

intended for a chunky looking yarn called TAOS

This is how I, very inexpertly, spun my wool and the pattern I finally ended up making after much unravelling (see previous blog post). The sheep from Huxtable Farm has to take all the credit for the colours.

Materials

I used about 1.5kg raw wool fleece of deep brown to blonde with grey under wool from a Jacob X Texel ewe from Huxtable Farm.  Staple length 7cm plus, shorn July 2012.  They will have more to sell next July. www.huxtablefarm.co.uk
Once the wool is scoured of grease, it weighs much less.  I think you would need less than 1kg of chunky yarn if you bought 100% wool, less weight if the fibre were lighter. 

One pair 6 mm needles and one pair 6.5mm needles and a 6.5mm cable needle.

Spinning

I couldn't work out how to sort the fleece, so I mixed staple colours and lengths while carding into rolags.  Spun thick, uneven singles and plied pairs together with variable twist along length. I spun a few rolags into really thin yarn for sewing up at the end.

Scouring

Tie each skein with cotton in four places,  Add a tablespoon of Fairy Liquid to about 10 litres warm water, and put in a skein, squeezing the wool gently.  Heat up to 85-90 degrees C over the course of an hour, then leave to cool.  When the temperature has dropped to about hand hot (40 degrees), rinse the wool in three changes of hand hot tap water, squeeze out and leave to dry.  Roll into centre pull balls, my favourite bit, it is poetry (see previous post).

Tension

Do not skip this bit like I always do.

12 stitches and 16 rows to 10cm square on 6.5mm needles in stocking stitch

Size Large

Knitted Measurements: Chest 118cm, Length from shoulder 66cm, Sleeve from armpit to wrist 50cm.  

After a 30 degree machine ‘hand wash’ cycle, the jumper barely shrank at all.  The plan to knit large and wash sufficient to shrink/felt it slightly was intended to minimise the effect of my uneven yarn and end up with a really warm, heavy weight jumper.  After washing at 30 degrees machine wool wash, stretching the length out a little and drying flat, the measurements were: Chest 112cm, Length from shoulder 66cm, Sleeve from armpit to wrist 49cm.   Although it is still a bit big for me, I haven't the nerve to wash it in a cotton cycle.

Back

Cast on 70sts on 6mm needles.  Work in knit (k)2 purl (p)2 rib for 8 rows.  Change to 6.5mm needles and stocking stitch and knit until piece measures 41cm from beginning, end with wrong side row.

Cast off 2 stitches at beginning of next 2 rows.

Next row k2 slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over (skpo), knit to 4 stitches from end of row knit 2 together (k2tog) k2, purl next row. Repeat these two rows 20 times.                                               

Slip remaining 26 stitches onto a holder.

Front

Cast on 70stitches on 6mm needles.  Work in k2 p2 rib for 8 rows. 

Change to 6.5mm needles

row 1 k30 p1 k8 p1 k30, 

row 2  p30 k1 p8 k1 p30, 

row 3 k30 p1 C4B C4F p1 k30, 

row 4  as row 2, 

repeat rows 1 & 2 three times then rows 3 & 4 once for the whole length of the front to produce central horseshoe cable.

Keeping pattern going up the centre, knit until piece measures 41cm from beginning, end with wrong side row.  Cast off 2 stitches at beginning of next 2 rows.

Next row k2 skpo, knit to 4 stitches from end of row k2tog k2, purl next row. Repeat these two rows 20 times.                                                

Slip remaining 26 st onto a holder.

Sleeves

Cast on 32 stitches on 6mm needles. Work in k2, p2 rib for 8 rows. Change to 6.5mm needles and stocking stitch and knit 6 rows.

Increase 1 stitch on each edge and knit 5 rows, do this 9 times total (50 st)

Knit until piece measures 50cm.

Cast off 2 stitches at beginning of next 2 rows

Next row k2 skpo, knit to 4 stitches from end of row k2tog k2, purl next row. 

Repeat the last two rows 20 times.                                                

Slip remaining 6 stitches onto a holder.

Finishing and Neck

Sew raglan sleeves to front and right side of back.

With 6.5 mm needles and RS facing, thread from holders 26 st from back, 6 from right sleeve, 26 from front and 6 from left sleeve. Work in k2, p2 rib for 8 rows and cast off loosely.

Join sleeve and side seams.

Final Thoughts

The sleeves on the jumper are looser than I would prefer, you could cast on 2 or even 4 stitches less when beginning the cuff.  This would leave a narrower neck, but as it is fairly open, it should be ok.  The cable pattern is something I added to the original and it makes the front knit up a little narrower than the back.  Since the whole jumper is loose, you could cast on 4 stitches less at the back (though this would make the neck narrower) or keep it baggy and cast on 4 more stitches at the front.

You know what, it feels good to say, this jumper is to me, from me, love me!!