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Rudolph is the biggest star in Christmas knitwear and it is not close. The reindeer is on more jumpers than Santa, more than the tree, more than snowmen – partly because it is instantly recognisable in a few stitches, and partly because of the nose, which gives a designer something to do.
That nose is the whole reason this section is as good as it is. A red pom-pom sewn where the nose should be is the single most satisfying detail in festive knitwear, and some of them light up, which is better still. Beyond that you have the full range: stylised Nordic reindeer in a Fair Isle band, which is the traditional and genuinely smart treatment; big cartoon Rudolph faces with felt antlers standing off the fabric; and a long tradition of slogans built around the names of the other eight, who deserve more credit than they get.
It is the safest novelty knit to buy blind. Reindeer jumpers suit everybody, offend nobody, and work on a two-year-old and a seventy-year-old alike. If you want one that will last beyond December, look for the knitted Nordic sort rather than a printed cartoon – the pattern survives washing and the pom-pom nose, lovely as it is, does not.
