four aran jumpers

Jumpers hold an important part in my connection to my family. Amongst a number of hand knitted garments I have four Aran jumpers, all knitted by my mother. The first is one that she knitted for herself, one of a matching pair when she was first married. Because I kept borrowing it when I was a teenager she knitted one for me, she also knitted one for my sister that I now own and wear all the time during the winter months, it is the one that is oversized, big enough to pull over my knees, the yarn is polished to a shine in places and the edges are frayed, the elbows worn through, I have darned them two or three times. I have attached a couple of photos of me in my sister's Aran. She finds it too hot (she does central heating) but I like winters to be cold so that I can layer up the knitwear. It is difficult to see all the darning in the elbows as I have used a similar colour thread and use Swiss darning that follows the route of the original knitting keeping the structure and stretch in the fabric (not aways straightforwards working Aran cables, increases/decreases and knit/purl) today I patched the latest hole in moss stitch, sometimes I do think it would be quicker to re-knit it. It is seldom washed, one or twice a year if I'm clumsy and get dirt on it. I have now inherited a fourth jumper that my Mum knitted for my niece, she wanted me to have it as she doesn't wear it. In time the yarn will polish and it will hold my memories too.

- Stephanie Wooster

Instagram: @woosterstephanie