The Joseph slipover

Slipover sleeveless sweater - Fair Isle patter from Smith and Jameson, Lerwick.

Fair Isle Sweater unveiled Jan 2021

 Can now unveil the latest Fair Isle sweater knitted by Annelise.  

It's in a pattern book called the 'Vintage Shetland Project' by Susan Crawford.

Crawford transcribed the pattern from an original sweater in the Shetland Museum, which was knitted by a Doris Hunter for her fiance Ralph Patterson in 1921. They married and during WWII Ralph was captured and spent time as a POW in Japan, with his sweater.  

See link to the Shetland Museum archive.  Shetland Museum and Archives::Allover Shetland patterned jumper

Preparing to cut a Steek on Fair Isle sweater 'Ralph'

 This is the back of a Fair Isle sweater currently being knitted by Annelise. It is knitted in the round with the arm holes and 'v'-neck created by cutting a steek.

The pattern, Ralph' is interpreted by Susan Crawford in her book the Vintage Shetland Project from a sweater in the Shetland Museum archive. The original sweater was knitted by Doris Hunter for Ralph Patterson. It ended up with Ralph in a Japanese POW camp in Hong Kong during World War II.

The body pattern is knitted in the round, leaving a column of stitches to cut to make openings for the neck and the sleeves. The each side of the edge where the cut will be made is strengthened with a running stich.

Inside view showing the stranded knitting of the Fair Isle pattern.

Outside view before cutting.

The arm hole steeks after cutting. Now ready to pick up stitches and knit down the sleeves.