It’s 2025 and I’m celebrating by working on The 1986. New year, new knitting project, if we ignore the fact that I actually made a start on Christmas Day.
So, some details. The 1986 is a sleeveless slipover using 4-ply wool so it counts as a light-weight, fine knit project. The pattern I’m following is an older design from 1986 (duh!) which I absolutely refuse to refer to as “vintage”. You can see how dated this looks on the pattern picture: not only in the styling of that hair and those pleat-front trousers, but in the fit of the top itself.
As a knitter, if you’re going to venture beyond knitting only the popular designs of the current moment, you need to start looking beyond the surface, beyond the way a garment is presented to you, and think about potential. Can you do anything to make this design work with your style in 2025? I think I can.
First up, and easiest of all, I’ve chosen to knit a size which will fit rather looser than how it is modelled. That’s a really simple adjustment and one tip is to measure a top that you already know you like the fit of and see which size on the knitting pattern most closely matches that. You don’t have to knit the size that’s “supposed” to fit you. If you want something tighter, knit a smaller size, if you want it bigger, knit a bigger size. No-one is policing your choices.
Reading through the pattern, the design has you knit the ribbing welt at the waist/hip at a smaller circumference and then add some stitches as you move into the main body. That was my next change as wanted a looser band to give a more modern fit. I decided to cast on the total number of stitches needed for the body and worked my rib on that. Similarly, to my 2025 eye, the armholes and the necklike could be more generous. I’m going to work extra rows between the bottom of the armhole and the shoulder which should resolve that rather tight look.
The yarn I’m using is BC Garn Bio Shetland which sounds like it should be either Scottish or Scandinavian, but is actually made in Turkey. This is a slightly thicker 4-ply yarn which I hope will provide a nice, woolly finish to the garment. I’m knitting it on 3.25mm needles for the main body and 2.75mm for the ribbing – these are the recommended needle sizes on the pattern, but more importantly they are the metric equivalents of the old British Size 10 and 12 which would have been the go-to for knitting 4-ply wool when I was very, very young.
My favourite element of this design are the rows of lace which climb up the centre front and branch out around the v-neck. It’s such an easy 4-row lace pattern and I’m already thinking of using it to knit a scarf in the future. This is proving to be a relaxing knit and, although I’m keen to have the finished garment and already dreaming about outfits I’ll wear it with, I’m take care to enjoy the actual knitting. I’m trying to make sure that I work on it each day, but not pushing myself to complete more than I’m comfortable with in a sitting. Lighting a scented candle (essential now that the Christmas tree and its lovely coloured lights are packed away for another 11 months) and indulging in a chocolate or two with a cup of tea whilst I knit is the ideal way to round off each day.
I hope this taster of my latest knit has given some food for thought. Perhaps the knitters amongst you might be tempted to look again at some older patterns and try to see some potential in them.
Pam Alison Knits 