Dear Susan pullover pattern and 14 page story

This is a cute, short-sleeved pullover pattern born out of a story of a Shetland Woman called Susan.

In September 2020, I moved to an original croft house in Levenwick and began to research the Halcrow family that lived here from the mid 1800’s. I became particularly interested in researching a woman called Susan (Cissie) b1876 - d1960 who lived in my croft house for 83 years – and after her parents and brother died, from 1916, she was alone. She made the fire in the hearth, grew things, opened the old latch door and looked out to sea every day, as I now do, also as a single woman.
Susan was the last of three generations of the Halcrow family to live in this house and she lived through some of the most recorded changeable times in Shetland history.

Through this new frame of mine, I began to write a story of two women living in the same house over a century apart. I began to write and research through my own lived experiences, diarised in a daily practice of writing. I researched a story of Susan, this house and Shetland, juxtaposed with my own lived experiences in the same house and out of that story, I knitted a pattern for Susan. The body of the jumper is inspired by the colours of the Shetland seas and I wanted the yoke to be jewel-like. It is a recipe of light, wind, the sea, yarn, Shetland life and a woman called Susan as well as my own creative practice. My creative practice is a way of expressing my life through the art of storytelling and technology of knitting and through the use of expressive colour.

This jumper has been calculated to fit up to 9 sizes.
Sizes XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL)

Chest Sizes. 29in / 33in/ 37in/ 41in/ 45.5in/49in/53in / 57in / 61in

Yarn Options:- Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift, Jamieson & Smith, Gathered Sheep yarns Pure Shetland 4 ply

I used Jamieson’s of Shetland, Spindrift for the Example knit (medium size) – I used all the blues that I liked including (Lagoon for the neck and just below the yoke pattern (2 balls) then 1 ball each of the following:- I graded the body light to dark blues – such as China Blue, Surf, Sky, Blue Danube, Teviot, Bluebell and Delf for the body Aqua for the hem, - 10 balls in total. You can choose one blue only, if that makes it easier.
For the Yoke and sleeve motifs, 1 ball each of Dewdrop and Aqua or Surf for the background, and for the tree and stars - Port wine, Maroon, Mantilla and Sorbet or Peony. For the borders and singing line – 1 ball of cosmos and Amber. For the Medium size 18 balls in total.

Yarn quantities for body for different sizes 9( 9, 10, 10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
Yarn quantities for Fair Isle pattern as follows below:-
Dewdrop 1(1,1,2,2,2,3,3,3)
Aqua or Surf 1(1,1,2,2,2,3,3,3)
Port Wine 1(1,1,2,2,2,2,3,3)
Maroon 1(1,1,2,2,2,2,3,3)
Mantilla 1(1,1,2,2,2,2,3,3)
Sorbet or Peony 1(1,1,2,2,2,2,3,3)
Cosmos 1(1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1)
Amber 1(1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1)

Needles – UK 3mm, US 3mm circular needles for Pullover body and sleeves. I used 3 different sizes 100cm and 80cm and a smaller 40cm for the sleeves. UK 2:75mm, US 2mm circular needle for the neck, sleeve and bottom ribs

Test Knit in Jamieson & Smith
Colours:
J&S MC - 91 (Yellow) 9 balls
J&S FC14 -dark blue/purple
Jamison of Shetland Sand (main back l background) - Used 2
Jamieson of Shetland Eggshell (centre backgrounds)
J&S FC55 (maroon)
J&S 9097 (terracotta)
J&S 9144 (Salmon)
J&S FC6 (coral heather)
J&S FC11 (grass green)