Stitchcraft January 1961 - Snowflake Sweater

I am just going to start by saying I really love this jumper!  There is always a fear when I knit that I'm going to hate what I make, or it won't fit properly.  I think this comes from the extra time invested in knitting rather than most of the sewing I do and also the inability to fit as you go along and adjust as one can with a sewing machine.  I know these are things I could learn but for me knitting is something I primarily do whilst watching television at the weekend.  It was my first hobby, started when I was 5 and picked up at various times during my life and as such will always be something I turn to, but I don't pretend to understand!

Being a leftie and taught to knit by two righties (my Granny and my Mum), I knit in rather an odd fashion with one needle held up by my leg and because of that I really hate knitting anything in the round.  So what better project than one with a circular yoke!   Because I don't like knitting in the round a lot of modern patterns are out for me (unless I ask my Mum to knit them for me) so I buy a lot of old Stitchcraft Magazines as they are all written to be knitted flat.  My favourites are the 1960s onwards as before that I find the sizing a bit small (unless I choose a plus sized pattern!) and multiple sizing is more common.

This pattern is from the January 1961 edition.  I bought this magazine as part of a bundle off eBay for not very much money at all and it was this pattern that I wanted.  The yoke is actually supposed to be knitted flat and a zip inserted at the back neck, which could have looked quite striking but I felt for comfort I would leave this out and knit the whole yoke in the round and omit the last few rounds of colour work.  My only negative about this jumper (and it is a very small one) is I cast off too tightly and the top of the neck has a tendency to fold inwards.  Since I can't see it this only bothers me when I look in the mirror (seldom, my house is lacking in mirrors) or at photos.

The wool I used is Cascade 220 Superwash from Wool Warehouse.  I used Cascade on my last cardigan and am so pleased with it I used it again.  I didn't do a swatch (never have, naughty!) and it has knitted up perfectly.  I haven't tried washing it yet though so I don't know if the superwash bit holds true!

I have signed up to A Stitching Oddyssey's and Kestral Makes' Vintage Pattern Pledge this year.  I wish I had signed up last year but I didn't have a blog back then so didn't feel it was worth it (so should have anyway!).  This is my pledge:

I, Jenna of justsewjenna, pledge to sew 3 items from my vintage patterns and knit 2 in 2015. Excited!!

So although I started this in 2014 I am counting this towards one of my 2 knits I have pledged to make.  I am so excited about this challenge, as I am sure a lot of people are.  I have a serious vintage pattern habit because I love the artwork but end up buying newer patterns so hopefully this will nudge me into getting my vintage patterns out of storage and actually using them!

I am so pleased with this jumper.  Having fallen out of love with knitting due to a few failures in a row, I am now very much back in love with it.  I have started another jumper for me so I can take part in the Instagram #sundaysweaterkal and am halfway up the back so I hope to have that finished before spring appears!