Knitted Aran Jacket

Over 20 years ago, when my 2 eldests sons were little I was a regular Woman's Weekly reader and used to love there knitting patterns. One week there was a lovely pattern for an Aran Jacket and the magazine also gave you the opportunity to buy the wool to knit it in the choice of grey or dusty pink. My mother-in-law Audrey took a shine to the jacket and I said I knit it her for a Christmas present and sent off for the dusty pink wool. I have done various amounts of knitting before but never on this scale or with so much detail.

Front of Jacket

Back of Jacket

The next few photos show some of the details of the pattern

I never got to complete it for Audrey for that Christmas and it became a standing joke between us as to how long it was going to take me to finish it as I was also bringing up a young family. I also had a desaster while knitting one of the sides, we had a little Yorkshire Terrier pup and went out one day to come home and discover my knitting and wool all around the living room floor after the pup had, had hold of it. It took my ages to untaffle the wool out and I ended up having to keep cutting the wool and tying knots in it.

Look closely and you can see some of the knots

It took me about 3 years to complete and Audrey love it and wore it alot. When Audrey died 15 years ago today (16th February) my father-in-law Bill gave the jacket back to me. I still wear the jacket very regularly to this day and it's my favourite piece of clothing that I would never get rid of and all the wonderful memories it holds