I knitted myself a jumper. I’ve crocheted for years and years but never really tried knitting until this year. I made myself the same jumper I knitted for Elizabeth but in a different colour. She said she wouldn’t mind if we had matching jumpers.
It’s very satisfying to make something with your own hands. Machinery and automation has made us rich and I don’t doubt it has improved our quality of life but it would be wrong to say there haven’t also been disadvantages and the loss of skills like these is one of them. Making your own things can add enormously to life satisfaction through a feeling of accomplishment from time spent making something, the opportunity to be creative and to then get to wear or use the thing you spent hours and hours working on. It’s a nice feeling which isn’t replicated from buying something at a shop. I think it also makes you value the item much more and take better care of it. This jumper will last forever.
It’s made using wool from Bluefaced Leicester sheep in Northern England. The wool goes from sheep to yarn in 150 miles. There’s no flying it abroad for processing and spinning then flying it back again for sale. It all happens in the UK. My jumper is also undyed and the natural colour of the sheep. The sheep here do not have their tails cut off and their wool is beautifully soft. Buy local.
rachel.blog 
Great! You’ll be on to socks next. They are addictive and I knit them for all my family.
Thanks, Lorraine. I am actually very keen to knit socks. Do you use circular knitting needles? What’s the easiest way to start?
I learned from a You Tube site, Two at a time socks, by Very Pink Knits. I prefer to knit them toe- up as I feel you get a more accurate fit.
My niece had a bad fall off a ladder and is left with one foot and lower leg swollen so I do one sock of each pair with a few more stitches on. Works a treat. Good luck!
The colour was the first thing I admired, and to know that it is natural is even more amazing.
The fit is great on both of you
Thank you. I do like natural colour of sheep’s wool.
It’s lovely! I have some BFL fiber from a local farm I enjoy spinning. Did you follow a pattern?
How wonderful. Does it take you long to spin? I did follow s pattern. I wouldn’t have had a clue otherwise. This is the first knitted garment I’ve ever made.