Recreating a favourite sweater

My jumper’s really old – what can I do? Make another of course

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I tend to wear the heck out of my clothes. I’ll fall in love with a particular piece and just wear it until it falls apart. And then I’m bereft. So, for me, one of the best things about designing your own knitwear is being able to recreate favourite sweaters when they’re past wearable.

The wool in this jumper is pilling and it's not going to
last much longer. Time to replace it. Photo by Idoru Knits.

One such piece is a pink jumper originally from Jane Norman that I picked up for a few quid in a charity shop. I love this jumper. It’s really fitted, has nice chunky fold-over ribbed cuffs with a matching ribbed collar, both of which have a touch of angora in. The neckline is a very deep V, so I always wear it with something underneath – this can be a low-cut strappy top for going out or round-neck jersey top for work. It could be in a co-ordinating colour or something with more contrast.

The cuffs and sleeves are a very slightly
different colour. I want more contrast.
Photo by Idoru Knits.

But the wool is seriously starting to pill and the jumper is clearly past its best. I won’t be able to replace it, so I’m going to recreate it. But better. For one thing it’s got a sort of ‘insert’ in the V neck that I don’t like. Plus those ribbed cuffs and collar are in a very slightly different colour, but I want the change to stand out more. I also want to add a ribbed hem to the bottom.

I already know what I’m going to knit it in – Artesano Alpaca 4ply in sweet pea (for the main jumper) and belize (for the cuffs, collar and hem). Now I just have to buy the yarn and get that tape measure and calculator out!

Here you can see the 'insert'. This will
not be in my design. Photo by Idoru Knits.