Christmas jumper for MIL

[charltonred]

MIL has asked for a knitted winter jumper as her Christmas present, husband usually sorts present but he really has no clue so he’s asked me to help. Tbh I’m struggling too, I have no idea where she shops and she also said she was a size 14 so I’m not really sure what style would suit either. It’s the first Christmas we’ve spent with them so will be there when she opens it on Christmas morning so I want it to be nice and something she likes, scared of picking something that won’t look nice.

Can anyone recommend anything they may have seen lately that could fit the bill?

I machine wash my m and s cashmere. All fine.

I'm probably near to your MIl's age (early 70s).
I don't like the white company one with the snowflakes at all. Unless she's tall and slim it wouldn't be flattering and I wouldn't wear it apart from Christmas itself.
I LOVE the Weirdfish one.
M&S have some nice jumpers in at the moment. Both plain cashmere and some with a Fairisle yoke.
My very favorite jumper is from Celtic & Co but they're expensive. I got it on vinted.
I wouldn't go for anything cropped and tight but neither would I go for baggy and oversized unless your absolutely sure that's her normal style.

I machine wash merino on the wool setting. Bruar has those too.

It may be I am getting old but I am increasingly drawn to my mum’s House of Bruar catalogue. It seems to me they are broadening their range a bit. It’s good quality stuff.

If I were you, I’d go M and S with a gift receipt so if she doesn’t like it, she can change it for something she’d prefer. Definitely don’t buy anything you can’t change if you’re not sure (and for what it’s worth, I’m with Anonymouseposter about the White company snowflake jumper - it’s something rather particular that she might well not like.)

OP that white stuff one is mostly acrylic.
Have a look at Seasalt fruity jumper, it's mostly merino wool so not itchy, and comes in plain or really pretty stripes, machine washable. In fact any Seasalt knitwear will be much better quality and value for money.

I think Seasalt is much reviled on here but I have always found their jumpers and coats very good quality, and not frumpier than anything else.

I'm 65. All subjective etc, etc, but the snowflake jumper is awful. It's the sort of jumper some younger posters assume older people like.

Same applies to the White Face fire hazard acrylic stuff.

I liked the look of the Weirdfish one but hadn't realised it was acrylic. M&S have similar in wool.
My Celtic & Co one looks similar but as I said above it's off vinted and is expensive new.

And what's the big deal about handwashing? I've always handwashed anything delicate and/ or that I care about.

[Although I suppose I don't share the obsession that some on MN have that everything has to be washed after every wear. This article says wool doesn't need to be washed more than twice a year]

Washing wool

That was interesting and the towel on rack method is exactly what I use .

Only puzzling bit is why she washes them once in Spring ( I get that: put them away clean after a Winter’s service) and then again in early Autumn. I don’t use my woollens over summer so couldn’t see the point in this at all.

Hush have a great sale on wool jumpers

I put most cashmere sweaters in the machine on a handwash cycle and if something is really expensive and I’m a bit less certain I hand wash with Eucalan which doesn’t need rinsing. Also agree they don’t need washing every time.