This is a beautiful, quick, easy knit yoke pullover, knitted in Aran weight yarn. It is entirely inspired from my living in Shetland with the landscape, the sea, the weather, the house I bought - and is a letter to Susan Halcrow, a woman that lived in the same house from 1876 to 1960. ‘Dear Susan’

The pattern has a 12 page letter/story dedicated to her which is where the name of the pattern comes from

I originally knitted this pullover in spindrift yarn in the summer of 2021 but this jumper / easy pullover, has been knitted for Winter in Aran weight and is a fun, quick easy knit.

It is one size and fits many people. You can lengthen the body if you require.

It is knitted using 4mm (US6) circular needles and 2:75mm (US2) for the sleeve cuffs. It has been knitted by 4 test knitters - from a complete beginner to very experienced. Some of the test knitters went rogue with their yarn choices and the outcomes are lovely.

You can also make it a little larger by using 5mm needles - as one test knitter did.

Sizes using 4mm (US6) circular needles are :-

Across the front (armpit to armpit) measures 22.5 inches (45 inches in total for the chest)

Width across jumper hem is 22.5 inches too. (45 inches)

From bottom of neck rib to hem of pullover - 19 inches but you could make longer

Armpit to hem of body of jumper - 11.5 inches (you can make this longer, if you wish)

Armpit to cuff hem - 18 inches

Yarn:- Jamieson’s of Shetland Aran weight Heather yarn.

I used 9 balls of Nightshade Heather – 1401 as main colour for the neck and body and
1 ball each of Cardinal Heather 323,
Romance Heather 172,
Mantilla Heather 517,
Mooskit Heather 106,
Camel Heather 141
Oceanic Heather 692
Duck Egg Heather 1000, for the yoke
Gingersnap Heather 331, for the first two rounds of neck and the singing line and -17 balls in total.

My test knitters used lots of different yarns and you will see this in the projects. You can try your Aran wight stash.

There are coloured charts, photos to explain how to do some of the stages and indepth fully written pattern. (23 pages in all to this pattern) 9 pages for the pattern -

Additional, to the pattern is a 12 page story/ letter dedicated to Susan Halcrow - Dear Susan,

here is an extract from the end of the letter after many months of research and living in the house …

(May 2021)
Dear Susan – friend – may I call you friend?

I imagine you looking out of the South Bedroom window as I now do. The early spring evening light is illuminating the edge of the land, holding back the blue, blue sea.
Would you have lit a fire in hearth in this bedroom beside you? I can see you putting the animals to bed – the cow in the barn (now derelict) the sheep in the field (now overgrown) or letting them out on the first clear break after 5 days of blizzards, arctic ice and gale force winds? Would you have smiled at the sudden calmness after such elemental ferocity as I now do?

Everything inside the house has possibly changed since you left in 1960 – except the floors, the doors and the view and maybe the sounds of the birds. The nature and intensity of this ever-changing view through the window is both of ours – both yours and mine.

Susan ….

This is not just a pattern but a true testament to a beautiful woman who lived a very long life in a beautiful house facing the sea with harsh weather, managing on her own and living a full life. It is a pattern of love and integrity.
’Dear Susan’ in Aran weight is a great winter pullover entirely inspired by life in Shetland.

Grateful thanks to my test knitters for the Aran jumper –
Judi Hurst, Janet Benjafield, Cheryl De Ville and Tracie Bailey.

Happy Knitting.
From Tracey.

There will be a Knitalong in my ravely group (and I will be using my old hand spun yarn for the body) - join below.

https://www.ravelry.com/groups/tracey-doxey-knitting-patt...