Cast Off | Doocot Jumper

I finished my Doocot jumper last week and as the weather has now gone rather cool (for February) I took the chance to get some photos of it.
I'm very happy with this jumper, it's turned out exactly how I wanted it to. I've been wanting something cropped to wear with dresses and skirts for ages now, but there never seems to be anything suitable in the shops.

I changed a couple of things to make this jumper perfect, which is one of the great things about knitting your own clothes - personalisation. The original pattern featured a much wider band of rib, starting higher up the body. I decided from the get-go that I'd knit the stocking stitch part longer, and keep the ribband thinner. I'm glad that I did, as the finished jumper matches perfectly with everything I hoped it would.

I also knitted the jumper with less positive ease, so the fit isn't as loose as the original. I feel the cold quite keenly and knew that a loose jumper wouldn't keep the cold out very well.
The special 'doocot' ribbing was fun to knit; I usually groan over ribbing but found this particular one really enjoyable to create.

The yarn I've knitted this in is a pure Australian grown merino, and it's incredibly silky soft. Unusual for wool, however, it has a very crisp stitch definition - almost as clear as cotton gives. This made the rib sit very nicely and I'm now thinking a project with intricate stitch detail (such as cables) is something I will have to try with this yarn.

As for the pattern, it's brilliant in layout and formatting as I've found all of Kate Davies work to be. I really enjoy using her patterns because I know that when I open them up I'll find clear, easy to follow instructions laid out in a neat and tidy way. It's not very enjoyable to try to follow a pattern when all of the instructions are bunched up against each other. Pattern writing aside, the designer goes about the most practical and straightforward way of constructing garments, without leaving off the attention to detail in the finishing. It makes for a very enjoyable knitting process with satisfying results.


What have you been knitting or making lately?
Is making your own clothes something you've tried, or would like to try?

I hope you have a lovely week!

Sarah


Project Details:
Pattern: Doocot by Kate Davies
Yarn: Novomerino DK in Beehive - 8 balls used in total
Needles: 4mm needle gave me gauge & I used a 3.5mm needle on the neckband rib


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