"Voucher for a home-knitted jumper" I wrote on a beautiful card and solemnly presented it to my husband for Christmas. He was really happy about it. After all, something you knit yourself is always very personal and unique. But his joy was even greater when I announced that I would finally be redeeming the gift voucher. More than two years later. Fortunately, my husband is patient. And he understood that cute children's knitwear or a new favourite item for myself kept getting in the way. Nevertheless, now was the time to finally get started.
My husband already knew what he wanted: he wanted an Anker's sweater in boyfriend size so that he could wear it with his children. The designer Mette Wendelboe Okkels from PetiteKnit has published these instructions for babies, children, women and men. So I ordered a few skeins of Lovely Merino Treat in my favourite colour red beech. A familiar, simple pattern with a favourite soft yarn, four-pointed needles and lots of stockinette stitch - a relaxed knitting experience on the sofa, I thought. Little did I know that this jumper of all things would take on a very special meaning for me. I was knitting for my husband and for my soul. Now the jumper is finished, fits perfectly and he really likes it. A story with a happy ending.
But a question popped up in my head, which I asked at our next team meeting: Why aren't there actually any designs for men at Rosy Green Wool? The explanation for this is both simple and understandable: it is mainly women who knit our yarns, and mainly for themselves. This means that the demand for knitting instructions for men is too low to make the additional costs of a photo shoot with a male model worthwhile for our small company.
But then a friend told me about how she knitted her first jumper, the Hamble by Isabell Kraemer. And it turned out to be far too big for her because she hadn't washed her knit sample. As a result, her husband - unlike mine, without any waiting time - was given a beautiful jumper that fitted him perfectly. Some of our jumper designs, namely the straight-cut ones, are obviously also great for men. And many patterns look good on everyone - regardless of gender. My friend's husband has really enjoyed wearing his Hamble for more than two years.
Our jumper patterns include nine different sizes, so you're sure to find the right one for your husband, father, brother or boyfriend based on the measurements given. Or - maybe there are some knitting men reading this - for yourself.
The Neona jumper for men would also work well. It was also designed by Isabell Kraemer and, like many of her designs, has a casual, straight cut. And Kairaku by designer Eri Shimizu is also a unisex model, as Miriam Sandrejova writes on her Instagram account and shows beautifully here:
She also likes to photograph scarves with male models. Ultimately, it's all a question of your own imagination and taste. If you fancy knitting a jumper for your favourite person, why not share a photo of them wearing it on Ravelry or Instagram as inspiration? And as a little tip: a voucher for a self-knitted jumper is always a great last-minute gift ;-)
