Herein lies an intermission from my show-casing of independent yarn dyers from the UK and a foray into pattern design.. Here’s a story.

My regular day job revolves around publishing, and so, one innocent day, whilst flicking through The Bookseller I came across an article about the Irish author, Sally Rooney. It was a good article and her book sounded great but all I was interested in was her press photo.. and more specifically the jumper she was wearing.

Sally Rooney, author of Normal People, in a jumper I didn’t knit or design...

It looked so comfortable, so cosy, so… simple. I loved the slight cropped waist and the positive ease. Drop-sleeves are my favourite because I have massive square shoulders… I really wanted that jumper. I trawled Ravelry and posted on Instagram for ideas of patterns to help me recreate this beauty.. But no luck. There was only one thing for it.. I was going to have to do it myself.

Now.. I have published a few designs for beginners before, but never a garment. I decided on an Aran weight - I mean I needed the above jumper really quickly… And where else would I look but the wonderful Down Sheepy Lane. Her Toasty Aran had just the softness and drape I was after and she had a range of deep, rich, tonal colourways.

Down Sheepy Lane - Toasty Aran in the Autumn Gold colourway

I mocked up a prototype before cracking into the precious stuff and it was too small for me (lucky for some) but was getting where I wanted.

The prototype.. looking a lot cooler than me on a beach in Brighton

So I tried again and did it proper this time. I scaled up the size and did a swatch and everything and changed the neckline and then I had what i was after. It only took me five 100g skeins of the Toasty Aran and it was SO soft and drapey and the colour just warms me through.

This is a very versatile project and a very simple construction so there are plenty of places for you to make your own choice… You can make it cropped and tight-fitting, sloppy and oversized, add a collar or not.

This is something my granny could have done with her eyes closed. There is really no design magic here – there was just nothing this simple on Ravelry! And what else could I call it but Normal People - after the author who inspired it (the book is pretty good too!) and the fact there is nothing exceptional in this pattern… I am really not a designer. I wrote a pattern.