Sophie Ochera’s “Original Sweater” Is All Grown Up

About a decade ago, Sophie Ochera started an eye-catching line of knitwear with a bright, playful sweater that paid tribute to textile traditions while carving a totally new path. Now that sweater is finally available as a handknitting pattern for adults, and we could not adore it more.

The seeds of Sophie’s knitwear venture were planted when she started making her own knit garments for her two children. Dissatisfied with the mass-produced options available, she took matters into her own hands — literally. With years of experience designing textiles for the fashion industry under her belt, Sophie knew just the kinds of colours, patterns, and traditions she wanted to draw on when dressing her kids, and she set out to bring her ideas to life.

These days, Sophie is all about slow fashion, timeless pieces, and heirlooms that will be handed down from generation to generation. With its combination of traditional Fair Isle techniques and modern touches like shaped sleeves and body, The Original Sweater is just that.

We’ve loved this sweater since we very first saw it. We’re so thrilled that this pattern is finally out there in the world that we’ve collaborated with Sophie to do a version in John Arbon Textiles Knit by Numbers 4ply using very Loop-y colours, with a Kit to help you get stitching right away. The palette brings together so many of our favourite hues: teal and creamy white for the body and arms of the sweater, with yellow, green, and orange accents on the yoke offset by darker base tones of black and brown.

If you haven’t already used the yarns from this woman-owned textile mill in the bucolic British county of Devon, you’re in for a real treat. Just like Sophie, quality and tradition are at the centre of everything John Arbon Textiles produces. They source their wool from British farms as much as possible and spin it using vintage machinery from dyed-in-the-wool fibres. There’s even more to love about this base now, as last year the team added 50% Bluefaced Leicester to this Falklands Merino base to make it even softer and more wearable without sacrificing durability.

The kit comes with full skeins of the two main colours (1.5 of each for the small/medium size and 2 of each for the medium/large) and a whopping 9 mini-skeins for completing the yoke. You’ll also receive a PDF of the pattern and a limited edition Loop 20th Anniversary Cross Body Bag printed with a design by Tabby Booth. If you’d prefer to buy the pattern on its own you can purchase it via Sophie’s Ravelry account — and we’d love to help you pick your colours! We can’t wait to see your versions of The Original Sweater out there in the world!

Happy knitting!