Sarah Lund's sweater

If, like my wife and I you've been gripped by Danish TV show Forbrydelsen (the Killing), then you've more likely than not been spending more time than you would ever have thought possible staring at a certain chunky knit jumper. Now, during the show's early run in March of this year (2011) on BBC4, you might have been forgiven for paying it no more than a passing interest, however - if like our family, you've just caught on to the series at it's second showing as the nights are drawing in then you're no doubt thinking - "oooh, that jumper looks nice and warm"

The original sweater, as worn by series heroine Sarah Lund, was chosen by actress Sofie Gråbøl, as she explains in an interview with "The Guardian" "We had a costume meeting and I saw that sweater and thought: 'That's it!'," she says, despite the jumper being decidedly unpolice-like. "The reason it's so perfect is because it tells so many stories. It tells of a person who doesn't use her sexuality – that's a big point. Lund's so sure of herself she doesn't have to wear a suit. She's at peace with herself."

Whilst "Forbrydelsen" is a Danish show, the jumper is not traditional Danish. It is Faroese. The Faroe Islands lie to the north of Scotland, equidistant from Iceland, Scotland and Denmark. Faroese knitwear is very traditional, with jumpers being worn for totally practical purposes, all winter through. The wool used is undyed organic wool from hardy northern Faroese sheep. The black wool in a jumper comes from black sheep - it isn't dyed. Organic wool is not just warm, it is lightweight, breathable and hypoallergenic. The jumper itself is hand knitted with every single one being unique.

Well, a hand-knitted, organic wool jumper shipped from an island in the middle of the north atlantic isn't going to be cheap, is it? Furthermore, the Sarah Lund sweater is not a folksy cottage industry. It is designed and produced by the hyper-savvy fashion knitwear brand Gudrun & Gudrun, who just happen to be based in the Faroe Islands. G&G are quite rightly proud of their design and have protected it by pursuing a rigorous legal campaign against those who would produce "knock-offs" or "look-alikes". So, if you want to buy a Sarah Lund jumper "off the rack" then there's only one place to go, and only one price to pay… The Gudrun & Gudrun original is available for €280 from the Gudrun&Gudrun website

Here at SarahLundSweater.com, we're not in the business of trying to sell you dodgy knock-offs of the Sarah Lund Sweater, but nor are we so dumb as to believe everybody has the best part of £300 to spend on a jumper. So what are your options if you don't want to spend €280? Well, it seems to us you can either make one - after all it's only knitting eh? How hard can that be? We have listed everything you'll need to knit your own Sarah Lund jumper here Or you can buy something similar after all, it's fine saying you've got a Sarah Lund sweater, but what happens when you bump into somebody else wearing one?

We've taken the time to look up some Nordic style alternatives which will give you the same style without that awkward "we're wearing the same jumper" moment…