THE VALUE OF RECYCLING

Have you ever had a favorite piece of knitwear, one that makes you feel warm and cozy and never want to take off?
I bought this jumper at my local St Vinnies charity shop for $2.00. I was surprised at the time that someone would pass on such a new jumper knitted in the most beautiful soft wool.
I had worn it so often that I became concerned that if I wore it out, I would not have another one to replace it.
For years I searched my local charity shops for knitting patterns, hoping that I could find the pattern that this jumper was knitted from.
Three years ago while looking through a large donations of new pattern books, there is was!

Better Homes and and Gardens free knitting supplement April 1994
The jumper is called 'Yellow Cables' and to my surprise it is a jumper for a child. I counted the stitches on the band and made a sample of the cable. Yes it is my jumper.

I decided that each year I would knit a new jumper from the pattern. This one is knitted in Patons Totem, colour Raspberry.

This one was finished just in time to wear at Easter last year. Knitted in Bendigo Woolen Mills Dark Plum.
May last year I had my son's German Shepherd on a lead, but the lead wrapped around my hand and ring finger. The dog bolted as she heard strangers in her house, needless to say I came off second best. Broken bones and failed plastic surgery left me wearing a splint for three months. I could not drive my car, or even eat with a knife and fork. Knitting was out of the question. Even without the splint I had no ability to grip anything.
Life has improved and I was to have my hand re broken in June, but I have cancelled the surgery.
I have no wish to re live last Winter.

After six months of intense physio, I discovered that I could knit if I used a circular knitting needle, as you don't have to grip all the knitting.
I worked on this jumper over the terrible heat wave that we had this summer past.With great enthusiasm after competing miles of knitting I somehow began sewing the sleeve to the jumper right side to wrong side. Unpicking back stitch can be challenging and instead of cutting the sewing, I managed to cut a hole in my knitting. In the front of course! I searched YouTube for a solution and found this tutorial that is the best I have found for repairing holes in knitting.     

The repair is difficult to find even if you know it is there, So I am happy to have this one to wear this winter. Knitted in Bendigo Woolen Mills Cherry Red.

As for my original cream jumper, it is showing signs of wear and tear. Long jumpers often wear out on the bottom band from the abrasion of sitting on them. Last year I could not wear any of my new jumpers as the splint on my hand has several bands of Velcro fastenings that caught on everything. I do confess that I did wear my cream jumper which has now been mended and washed ready for anther winter. Next year will be the year to knit a new cream one to replace it.

Whoever the knitter of the original jumper is, or the person who donated the pattern, I will never know. But I am grateful that they chose to recycle at the charity shops, rather than sending unwanted goods to landfill.