Wednesday, 12 February 2014

Cherry Brandy Sweater Found

More than a year ago, I found a knitting pattern for a sweater designed to look like a bottle of De Kuyper Cherry Brandy and wrote about it here.  I knew that there should be an actual sweater knitted to that pattern in the Knitting & Crochet Guild collection, because I had seen a photo of it taken several years ago, but it hadn't been seen recently and we didn't know which box it was in.  Then yesterday the cataloguers got to box 39, and found it.


I think it's wonderfully quirky, in a 1980s kind of way, and it's very satisfying to have both the pattern and the sweater (and to know where they both are).  The knitter has adapted the neckline from the original - it should have a stand-up collar with "Extra Fine" in red and gold around it, but this one is a more practical crew-neck instead.

The pattern for the Cherry Brandy Sweater 

If you go back to my original post, you can see the TV ad which featured the model on the pattern.  Be warned - you might find yourself singing the song in your head for the rest of the day.  I am, right now - but I've had "My name is Morgan but it ain't J.P." playing for several days, so I don't mind.

6 comments:

  1. I have this jumper! My grandma knitted it in the late 70s after seeing the advert. She wrote to De Kuyper to request the pattern, and was sent a typewritten version. After she knitted it she sent a photo to De Kuyper and they sent her a bottle of cherry brandy! She also changed the neck so it wasn’t a roll neck as she thought that would be too warm. I’m actually wearing it today, so it’s lasted 40 years, I wear it every Christmas as the colours are very festive 😊

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    1. That's a lovely story. As you can see, whoever knitted the sweater in the KCG collection changed the neckline too. Great to know that you are still wearing it - and drinking cherry brandy at the same time too, I hope. Do you have a photo of your grandma wearing it, by any chance? I'd love to see it, if so.

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  2. I loved that advert in the 1970s and brings back good memories of being a child at that time. Love cherry brandy love anything 70s and 80s I would love this jumper. Is there any way you could share this pattern with me please?

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    1. The pattern is still in copyright, and the Knitting & Crochet Guild doesn't have permission to copy it, so I'm afraid I can't, unless the current owners give permission.

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  3. Hi Barbara - I remember this pattern well - I knitted it along with a Guiness sweater/jumper pattern when I was a teenager - I see that you cannot share this pattern - is there someone I could write to get a copy of it and would you perhaps have the Guiness pattern I am talking about. It was black with the word Guiness knitted in gold.

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    1. I'm not sure who owns the copyright at the moment - needs investigating. I do know the Guinness sweater and I think we do have a pattern for it. I assume that Guinness owns the copyright for that one - though they probably don't know anything about the pattern now.

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