Merry Christmas! Häid jõulupühi!

Christmas Eve in Derby was like a sunny spring day. Returning from a long walk in Elvaston Castle grounds it started to rain, but the sun still shone. I looked around to see if there would be a rainbow, and there, a few hundred meters away on the pasture was a rainbow, resting both ends on the ground quite close to us. I've never seen a rainbow so close you could almost touch it! I guess a little Christmas miracle!

 Jõululaupäev Derby's oli lausa kevadiselt päikeseline. Jalutuskäigult naastes hakkas aga vihma sadama, kuid päike ikka paistis. Vaatasin ringi, et kas vikerkaart ka näha on. Ja sealsamas, paarsada meetrit eemal karjamaal oligi vikerkaar, mõlemad otsad maale toetumas!  Ma pole kunagi varem näinud vikerkaart nii lähedal, katsu või käega! Jõuluime vist!

Another Vintage Sweater. Veel üks vintage kampsun.

I have done a bit of Christmas knitting as many of knitters do at this time of year. I have knitted the Pinafore Jumper by Susan Crawford from A Stitch In Time, Knitting and Crochet Patterns, 1920-1949 Vol. 1. I followed just the stitch pattern from the book but not the technique for  knitting it. I knitted the jumper from the top down in one piece. Because the model is from the nineteen thirties, I decided to use a type of wool that gives a flavor of the era from Pure Southdown Wool. A seriously rough and firm woolen yarn, however after a washing and soaking in hair conditioner it feels somewhat softer. Fortunately, my daughter is not the princess from the fairytale The Princess and the Pea and can wear a sweater knitted in coarser wool on top of a shirt.

Yarn: Pure Southdown Wool by Bedfordshire Wool Company

Needles: 4 mm for pattern, 3 mm for ribs and collar.

Swatch before and after washing.

Jõulukingiks sai kootud Pinafore Jumper raamatust A Stitch In Time, Knitting and Crochet Patterns, 1920-1949 Vol. 1. Järgisin ainult koekirja, kõik muu on omalooming. Kudusin ülalt alla ühes tükis. Alustasin seljaosa ülalt 70 silmaga vardail. Õlad kujundasin lühendatud ridadega. Varrukad on kohe otse kootud.

Kuna mudel on eelmise sajandi kolmekümnendatest pärit, otsustasin kasutada ajastuhõngulist villast lõnga Pure Southdown Wool.  Tõsine kare villane lõng! Peale pesu ja leotamist juuksepalsamis muutus küll veidi pehmemaks. Õnneks tütar pole mingi Printsess Herneteral ja saab pluusi peal karedamat villast kanda.

Lõng: Pure Southdown Wool by Bedfordshire Wool Company

Vardad: 4 mm, soonikud ja krae 3 mm.