WHY I LOVE JOLLY JUMPERS...
From that day on, colourful jumpers became my professional trademark. Through the 1980s I appeared regularly on British television and when I did I always wore colourful knitwear. No one else on TV had jumpers quite like mine – or quite so many of them. I had hundreds.
For the most part, I designed them myself and made sure that I had them for all occasions – featuring hearts for Valentine’s Day, bunnies for Easter, Shakespeare on his birthday. I had at least one different jumper for every day of the year. And I had them for different times of the day, too: ones featuring boiled eggs (and fried eggs) to wear at breakfast, for example.
In 1990 I gave up television for politics, put away my bright knitwear, put on a sober grey business suit and became the Member of Parliament for Chester. John Major was the prime minister then. Grey was the order of the day.
I assumed I could leave the jolly jumpers behind. Wrong. Whenever I did my best to seem statesman-like, the local newspaper would come up with another old photograph of me in a fun knit. At Westminster, I was appointed to the standing committee overseeing the legislation to privatise Britain’s railways. Leading for the opposition on the committee was John Prescott, MP. Whenever I got up to speak, he muttered in my direction: ‘Woolly jumper! Woolly jumper!’
But my jumpers had their political advantages, too. Because I was the jumper man, I was recognisable.
Research shows that when people watch TV, they recall 83 per cent of what they see, but only 17 per cent of what they hear. Everyone has long since forgotten anything I ever said, but quite a few still have a distant memory of what I wore.
Even today, three decades on, I can’t walk down the street without someone asking me, ‘Where’s your jumper?’
And happily, thanks to a new book of my favourite jumpers, I now have an answer for them. ‘Here are my jumpers,’ I can say – or at least here are my favourites. They’re all fun to knit and fun to wear. And best of all, they will look even better on you than they ever did on me.
Novelty Knits: 35 Fun & Fabulous Jumper Designs, by Gyles and Saethryd Brandreth, is published by Kyle Books, priced £15.99.
... and now knit Gyles’s Rudolph jumper
If one thing really kicked off the jumper revival it was the fun festive knit. From Bridget Jones’s Mr Darcy to Christmas Jumper Day in aid of Save The Children, a novelty nativity knit is fast becoming a Great British tradition. Here we have Welsh wonder and The One Show presenter Alex Jones, who is as beautiful as she is brilliant, showing us how it is done in this ravishing reindeer design. PS Did you know that Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first appeared in 1939? He was originally going to be called Rollo or Reginald before writer Robert L May plumped for Rudolph.
MEASUREMENTS
To fit chest/bust: 81(86:91:97:102:107:112)cm Length: 68(69:70:71:72:73:74)cm
Sleeve length: 50cm
Figures in brackets refer to the larger sizes. Where only one figure is given this refers to all sizes.
MATERIALS
- 7(8:8:9:9:10:10) x 50g balls of 4-ply yarn in main shade – dark green (MC)
- 1 x 50g ball of 4-ply yarn in each of contrast shades – dark brown (A) and light camel (B)
- small amounts of 4-ply yarn in contrast shades –red (C), black (D) and white (E)
- 1 pair each of 2.75mm and 3.25mm knitting needles
- 2 stitch holders
- 2 stitch markers
The quantities of yarn given are based on average requirements and are therefore approximate.
TENSION
28 stitches and 36 rows to 10cm square over st st on 3.25mm needles (or size needed to obtain given tension).
ABBREVIATIONS
- alt = alternate
- beg = beginning
- cont = continue
- dec = decrease
- foll = following
- inc = increase
- K = knit
- K2tog = knit 2 together
- P = purl
- P2tog = purl 2 together
- patt = pattern
- pm = place marker
- psso = pass slipped stitch over
- rem = remaining
- rep = repeat
- RS = right side
- s = slip
- st(s) = stitch(es)
- st st = stocking stitch
- tbl = through back of loop
- tog = together
- WS = wrong side
BACK
With 2.75mm needles and MC, cast on 123(129:135:147:153 :159:165) sts.
Row 1
(RS): *K2, P1, rep from * to end.
Row 2
*K1, P2, rep from * to end.
Work 20 more rows in K2, P1 rib. Change to 3.25mm needles and proceed as follows:
Row 1: K.
Row 2: P.
Working in st st, cont until back measures 38(39:40:41:42:43:44) cm, ending with a WS row.
Shape armholes
Row 1: K1, s1, K1, psso, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. [121(127:133:145:151:157:163) sts.]
Row 2: P1, P2tog, P to last 3 sts, P2tog tbl, P1. [119(125:131:143:149:155:161) sts.]
Rows 1 and 2 set decreases for armholes.
Work 6 rows, dec 1 st as before at each end of every row. [107(113:119:131:137:143:149) sts.] ** Cont in st st without shaping until armhole measures 24cm, ending with WS row.
Shape shoulders
Cast off 6(7:7:8:9:9:10) sts at beg of next 8 rows, then cast off 5 (4:6:7:6:8:7) sts at beg of next 2 rows. [49(49:51:53:53:55:55) sts.] Leave rem 49(49:51:53:53:55:55) sts on a stitch holder.
PLACEMENT OF CHART
Follow patt for front as below until work measures 15 (16:17:18:19:20:21)cm, ending with a WS row.
Next row: K29(32:35:41:44:47:50) sts in MC, pm, K across 65 sts of 1st row of chart, pm, K across rem of row in MC. This row shows placement of chart. Complete 110 rows of chart.
At the same time: Cont working front patt shapings.
FRONT
Work as given for Back to **. Cont in st st without shaping until armhole measures 16cm ending with WS row.
Shape neck
Next row: K39 (42:44:49:52:54:57), K2tog, turn, leave rem 66(69:73:80:83:87:90) sts on a stitch holder. Working on these 40(43:45:50:53:55:58) sts only, proceed as follows:
Next row: P2tog, P to end. [39(42:44:49:52:54:57) sts.] Work 10 rows, dec 1 st as before at neck edge in every row. [29(32:34:39:42:44:47) sts.] Cont straight until front measures the same as back to beg of shoulder shaping, ending with WS row. Cast off 6(6:7:8:8:9:9) sts at beg of next and foll 3 alt rows. [5(8:6:7:10:8:11) sts.] Work 1 row. Cast off rem 5(8:6:7:10:8:11) sts. With RS facing, working on rem 66(69:73:80:83:87:90) sts, slip 25(25:27:28:30:31:31) sts onto a stitch holder, rejoin yarn to rem 41(44:46:51:54:56:59) sts, K2tog, K to end of row. [40(43:45:50:53:55:58) sts.]
Next row: P to last 2 sts, P2tog tbl. [39(42:44:49:52:54:57) sts.] Work 10 rows, dec 1 st as before at neck edge in every row. [29(32:34:39:42:44:47) sts.] Cont straight until front measures the same as back to beg of shoulder shaping ending with RS row. Cast off 6(6:7:8:8:9:9) sts at beg of next and foll 3 alt rows. [5(8:6:7:10:8:11) sts.] Work 1 row. Cast off rem 5(8:6:7:10:8:11) sts.
SLEEVES (both alike)
With 2.75mm needles and MC, cast on 69 sts, work 22 rows in K2, P1 rib. Change to 3.25mm needles and working in st st, inc 1 st at each end of 6th and every foll 4th row to 133 sts.
Cont without shaping until sleeve measures 48cm, or length required, ending with a WS row.
Shape armholes
Row 1: K1, s1, K1, psso, K to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1. [131 sts.]
Row 2: P1, P2tog, P to last 2 sts, P2tog tbl, P1. [129 sts.] Rows 1 and 2 set armhole shapings. Work 6 rows, dec 1 st as before at each end every row. [117 sts.] Cast off.
NECKBAND
Join left shoulder seam. With RS facing, using MC and 2.75mm needles, work across 49 (49:51:53:53:55:55) sts left on stitch holder at back of neck, pick up and knit 23 (25:24:24:24:25:25) sts evenly along left side of neck, work across 25(25:27:29:29:31:31) sts left on stitch holder at front of neck, pick up and knit 23 (24:24:23:23:24:24) sts evenly along right side of neck. [120(123:126:129:129:135:135) sts.] Starting with 2nd row of K2, P1 rib, work 12 rows. Cast off in rib.
TO MAKE UP
Join right shoulder and neckband seams. Sew in sleeves. Join side and sleeve seams. Weave in all ends. Pin out garment to the measurements given. Cover with damp cloths and leave until dry. See ball band for washing instructions.