The Big Woolly Man Sweater . . . for Tom
(With a heavy emphasis on BIG, I’m afraid.)
Pattern: Saddle-Shoulder Men’s Pullover
Designer: Churchmouse Yarns and Tea
Yarn: Jamieson’s of Shetland Shetland Heather in the colorway North Sea.
Needles: I used size 8 needles for the body and sleeves, and size 6 needles for the ribbing.
Started/finished: I cast on for this sweater in late April 2025 and finished in late October 2025. I took significant breaks for other projects along the way.
Notes and modifications: I knit this sweater for Tom to use as a fishing sweater . . . which means it needs to be warm, easy to layer, and tough enough to take a beating. I think this is the perfect style and the perfect yarn for such a sweater . . . but I chose the wrong size and it ended up far too large. (I wanted to make sure it was big enough to layer easily.) (And yes, I got gauge. And yes, I measured. Often. And yes, I held it up against Tom’s favorite fishing sweater frequently as I was knitting.) This sweater design is seriously oversized, though, and especially in the shoulders/arm scye. I needn’t have sized up — in fact, I should have sized DOWN. But, alas. I did not.
I did, though, intentionally shrink the sweater after the fact . . . by washing it in VERY hot water on low in my washing machine, and then drying it on warm in my dryer. It did shrink enough to be wearable (and did not felt) (bonus). Tom loves the sweater, which he says is very comfortable and cozy. It will be perfect for fishing or just wearing around the house.
One note on the construction . . . I was hesitant about the neckband (which is folded over double and stitched to the neck edge), but it is actually really nice. Gorgeous, in fact, and nice and sturdy.
As far as the yarn . . . I ordered 15 skeins, and have 1 full skein and 2 partial skeins left over.
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