Beware non -knitters. This post is loaded with knit geekery!

I designed and knit this sweater-coat as a sort of tribute to my grandmother Otillie, nicknamed Otie by her nieces and nephews. Otie came to Canada in 1895 at the age of 6, with her family, from what was then known as Prussia. The grandmother I knew exemplified the true Canadian prairie woman. Resourceful, resilient in the face of hardship, and extremely generous. My fondest memories of childhood are the moments and days spent visiting my grandparents.

Inspiration for this sweater was taken from a pattern book published in 1911, called The Utopia Yarn Book. Otie would have been 22 at the time and newly married. It’s 32 inches long, from neck to bottom, and I couldn’t face endless rows of stocking stitch, so I used a pattern from Sterling’s Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns called Moss Stitch Diamonds, which gives a subtle, all over texture to the sweater. It overlaps significantly in the front with the button closure being about 3 inches off center, to give it a vintage style. Once I laid eyes on the hand carved, birch buttons by Lantern Moon, I knew they belonged on my sweater. I love the way the warm wood tone sets off the vibrant pumpkin colour of the wool.

The wool is Koala Alpaca /Wool Blend, which is soft and warm, yet lightweight, and an absolute delight to knit with. 20 balls of it were needed to complete the sweater but I saw this as an investment. With good quality yarn I’ll be wearing this sweater for a very long time.

I fell in love with this colour immediately. It brought to my mind the story Grandma had told me of how she loved to gallop their horse across the fields, releasing her auburn hair from the demure, pinned up style of the day, to let it flow freely behind her in the wind. As an old woman she recalled this with some pride and a mischievious twinkle in her eye. Circa 1905 this would have been shocking behaviour for a girl.

The collar was a real challenge. I wanted to be able to button it right up to my neck against the cold northern winds, but have it fold back into lapels for warmer days. It took 3 attempts at knitting, frogging and redesigning before I got what I wanted but it did eventually fall into place as I’d envisioned.

I hope one day to write out the pattern for Otie’s Sweater. Right now it’s a mismatched jumble of papers containing scribbles, sketches and many modifications. It wasn’t easy adapting the Diamond pattern to the sweater shaping and I knit mainly by instinct to conquer this. My one attempt thus far to record this in pattern form ended up as worm food but I do plan to try again. Once it’s properly written up it’ll be posted on this site.

Otie’s sweater keeps me warm and connects me to my rich family legacy of resourceful and generous women.

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