Help making my own shirts

[Rich.H]

Up until now I have made do with the classic norgi top, while it is timeless and does certain things very well it also does other things very badly. I love the idea of most of the swandri kit but my wallet disagrees with me. Even some of the cheaper UK wool garments are a little too pricey right now.

What I am blessed with is a MIL who actually enjoys knitting things for folks and often get a free jumper etc simply because it gives her something to do while watching telly.
With this in mind I am wondering if anyone has bought various yarn rolls to make their own bush gear?
If so how well does it hold up to abuse compared to the retail counterparts?
Any luck using merino or other yarns?
Finally does anyone have any patterns they wish to share or can recommend a link to online patterns?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Toddy]

Life's been kind of fraught here for the past month or so, but I haven't forgotten my promise to work with Maddave making bushshirts tutorials.
The patterns are drawn out and ready to be passed around.
Soon, really soon, we'll get to it.

Knitted jumpers and heavy outdoor clothing are much underrated, but the gansey's and arans were how seamen faced the elements day in day out everyday of the year.

If I haven't spun it myself I use wool from New Lanark. Their aran and DK is excellent and it comes in a really good range of colours. It won't shrink with washing either.

http://newlanarkshop.co.uk/

That said, Texere and Wingham Wool works are both very, very good. It's cheaper to buy the yarn on a cone than in fancy balls. Hanks are really best, because with a hank you can see the entirety of the wool in a way that you can't when it's wound, but it's something else that needs to be done before folks start knitting and nowadays most folks can't be bothered unwinding hanks.

http://www.texere-yarns.co.uk/texereshop/Knitting_Yarns_by_Weight.html

http://www.winghamwoolwork.co.uk/

Generally older handknit patterns make for better fitting garments, and there's no shortage of those, look for Vintage patterns on ebay. Some folks have compiled them into huge files for a couple of £'s on CD's. Bargains

That said, Lynn Grey Ross on Arran designs and sells knitting patterns, and I know Lynn and she is very careful and precise.

http://patterns.on-arran.com/page/Arran+Aran+Aran+Mhor

I'll add in links, but I'd love to see what your Mum in Law makes

atb,
Mary

 

[Rich.H]

Thanks for the help, just wondering what types of wool are best used for different purpose? I was thinking merino wool for anything that is going to be in skin contact for the comfort factor. But does merino have different grades/types etc? I realise you get pure wool and various mixes with other fibres, but this whole arran/DK lark is greek to me?

For outer layers again what types of wool will give me the qualities needed in bush shirts etc? Do I need to keep to certain thickness fibres so that a tighter knit can be achieved etc?

 

[Toddy]

Merino is lovely, soft, doesn't itch (usually) but so is cashmere

From the skin out....merino, then cashmere, then something like the native breeds, but only blackface or herdwick as a really outer layer. Those latter two are full of kemp. Kemp isn't crinkly like wool but the straighter hairs help the sheep shed the rain rather than get bogged down in with sodden wet fleece.

Merino wears fine, cashmere is lovely, but both are soft and will snag and tear if not carefully (and deliberately) felted for outer wear.

Felting is actually a really good idea for outdoor garments, but since it shrinks the size, either a garment has to be knitted too large and carefully felted (fulled) down, or the yarn is now processed (pure new wool) to stop it felting much at all.

Double knitting is normal standard yarn, Aran is heavier and Chunky is heavier again, Icelandic is about twice the thickness of Aran and is beautiful to knit up and wear. Expensive though, I only source it through a friend who spins it with a lopi spinning technique but she's swamped with orders and I know she will have none to spare.

If your MIL knits, speak to her. For outdoors wear I knit Aran weight for my husband and our family. Guernsey 5 ply is also ideal for this.
Icelandic is good, but not always easily found at a reasonable price here.

You could contact the Ulster spinners, weavers and dyers guild ? They make some beautiful stuff and might know of sources near you where you could obtain really good wool.

https://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Ul...661847399?id=148628661847399&sk=photos_stream

cheers,
Mary

 

[Ogri the trog]

Mary,
What description (weight, yarn count, dye & treatments etc.) of wool fabric do we need to look for to make shirts/Swannie clones. I have made something akin to Cap'n Badgers viking tunic from a few Moot's ago so I'm not new to it but I'd like to find a similar fabric that offers both warmth and breathe-ability.

After a generic look on Ebay, I can only find tartans, which may be good for you folks north of the border, or lightweight felt squares.

Chat soon

Ogri the trog

 

[bilmo-p5]

... I'd like to find a similar fabric that offers both warmth and breathe-ability.

You and me both! I'm permanently on the lookout for someting like the Swanndri fabric.

 

[Toddy]

That's easy enough; get thee to the reenactors markets

Abimelech Hainsworth make the best, but they're expensive. I do buy from them, but only when I know that the commission is going ahead and I have a deposit in hand.
Otherwise the reenactors markets have an enormous range of woollens in both quality, weight and price.

Look for Melton wool. That's wool that's been fulled....that's a kind of felting process that thickens and tightens the cloth without leaving it like wearing a carpet. It's the stuff that good quality blazers, donkey jackets, uniform dress jackets, etc., are made from. For the inner lining (the charcoal grey stuff on some swannis) find good quality, lightly fulled, wool flannel.

cheers,
M

 

[bilmo-p5]

Don't know what I was thinking of when I posted that; brain must've been in neutral. Anyhow Mary's mention of reenactors market reminded me of a place she told me about some time ago. Herts Specialist Fabrics often have some nice wool fabrics. They're abit weird with samples though - you ask for a sample of something and a B5 envelope with a scrap of everything they have turns up.

This ebay seller sometimes gets Hainsworth's remnants and passes them on quite reasonably.

Incidentally, Hainsworth (or Atkinsons, which is part of Hainsworth) is the firm that makes the point blankets for the Hudson's Bay Company.