My Favourite Winter Jersey
My favourite winter jersey — handspun, handknitted, and worn with warmth all season long.
This jersey has become my favourite through the cold months, warm, soft, and full of memories from start to finish. I spin the yarn myself from natural Corriedale wool, a mix of deep brown, pale grey, and creamy white. Together they form a gently marled yarn with soft, earthy striping, natural and quietly beautiful.
I start spinning during the Sydney to Hobart race, those peaceful days between Christmas and New Year when time seems to slow. Over the next couple of months, I finish about 300 to 400 grams of yarn, spinning on my Majacraft Suzie Pro and then plying on the Ashford e-Spinner. Two 50g bobbins become one large 100g hank, smooth and balanced, ready for knitting.
Before casting on, I swatch with a whisper of silk mohair, a cobweb weight in natural white, to add softness and halo. It’s perfect. I use it alongside my hand-spun for It’s Not a Sweatshirt by Knitting for Olive, a simple, elegant top-down yoke design that really lets the yarn shine. The yoke takes patience (I rework it three times before it’s right), but the rhythm of knitting settles in quickly after that.
By the time I finish, winter is approaching and I wear it proudly to the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show. It’s everything I hoped for, beautifully warm, easy to wear, and full of the story of its making.
Spinning the yarn
Plying the yarn
Knitting the jersey
As I look back through these photos, I can feel the pull to start another — maybe this time in the earthy reds and indigo blues I’ve been dyeing. Perhaps a lighter autumn version, with shorter sleeves and a touch of colour play. We’ll see.
For more about the making of this jersey, you may be interested in the following posts:
