A Crochet Commission

Have I ever made a crocheted garment before?

Well, it depends whether these strappy summer tops I've made for my daughter, Maddy, qualify?

Late last summer, Julie of Black Isle Yarns asked if I'd be interested in making a yet-to-be-released pattern designed in her wool.  A proper sweater - in crochet - for her to use as a sample at wool shows.  Not just any jumper either, but a design by Samira Hill of Eildon Hills Design being showcased in the Autumn/Winter 2022 issue of The Journal of Scottish Yarns.  

The Eildon Wood Jumper, featured on the Journal's cover, is crocheted using Julie's Auchen yarn so it's the suggested wool for this pattern.  Exciting for the designer as well as the yarn purveyor!

So, a little different from just being asked to make something for someone else, and a little different from the strappy tops I'd made in the past.  

I needed to see if I was up to the task so I asked for a sneak-peek of the pattern in advance of its publication and made my decision.  I'd do it!

Shortly after agreeing, I received a squishy parcel containing three skeins of Black Isle Yarn from Julie in a beautiful shade of deep indigo.  Black Isle Yarns prides itself on provenance - Julie's yarns are custom spun from fleeces she's hand selected from farms and small-holdings near her home on the Black Isle, just north of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands.  Once spun to her requirements, Julie dyes the yarn herself using natural dyes and plants she's collected.  It's hard to capture all the bluey purple loveliness of the wool I'd been sent.  

I was itching to start and crocheted a couple of swatches right away to check my hook size.

I then footered about for more days than I should have, attempting to master the pine cone pattern in spare wool, then fretted about my lack of actual sweater progress.  

Eventually I realised I just had to make a start.  

A good decision because the pine cone and leaf yoke design appeared in hardly any time at all. 

Followed by the body and sleeves.

The only section to pose a real challenge was the ribbing and it's the only part where I deviated from the written pattern.  It just didn't look right being crocheted directly onto the body (no matter how many times I tried) so I ripped out what I'd done.

Then created the ribbed welt as a separate strip and crocheted it into place along the lower edge.

Once the sweater was complete it enjoyed a wee bath in some scented wool wash.

And was pinned into shape whilst damp.

A little over three weeks after I started, I was able to try on the finished crocheted garment!

But it wasn't really important how it looked on me - how would it fit Julie?  I parcelled it up and sent it off.  Though I'd kept in regular contact whilst I was making her jumper, I didn't tell Julie it was finished as a postal strike meant she might not have receive it in time for a wool show she was attending.

But I'm glad to say that it did arrive in time for Glasgow School of Yarn  last October.

And it does fit Julie!

Julie and Black Isle Yarns will be attending the Unravel Festival at Farnham Maltings in Surrey from 24th to 26th February 2023 so, if you'd like to see all her wonderful wool, and the Eildon Hills Sweater in person, you know where to go!