The recipe for this sweater comes from a book of Debbie Bliss patterns called 'Rialto Merino Classics' and was made using 4 ply 100% Italian merino wool. I started to knit my own sweaters because I can never find nice sweaters with short sleeves. Often in my rosy the riviter moments, I push up my sleeves and ruin all my long sleeved jumpers. I love to knit 2-4ply vintage, its elegant, different, fitted and most of the patterns are short sleeved.  Fair Isle was popular in 1940s because mutiple skeins of unrationed 1oz repair wools could be used to make multicoloured sweaters. Fair Isle is also a great way to use up scraps of wool.