The jacket was made using techniques traditional to Shetland. It was knitted in the round with 3 needles with a knitting belt with extra stitches, often known as steeks (which are cut at the end) up the front, at the arm holes and the neck. The facing and collar were picked up and added at the end. I much prefer this method of construction as it means there is mimimal sewing, and that is my least favourite part by far.
The pattern was based on a jacket my Granny made for my cousin over 35 years ago and is shown below. Keeping with the Shetland tradition of passing patterns among families and friends, she designed this based on a jacket her cousin had previously made. I called my version the Freefield Jacket as that was the area in Burra that my Granny was born and brought up and where her cousin still lives.
This one was knitted in double knitting yarn but the design was easy enough to convert into jumper weight yarn as the majority of the design is single stitches of alternating colours, which makes a lovely cosy fabric reminiscent of tweed.
Interestingly, when I was going through old photos recently I came across this picture: it is my eldest cousin wearing another version.
It makes me wonder how many of this design were made!
