Pages

Tuesday 14 September 2010

Fair Isle Fun

Trying my hand at some fair isle knitting has been on my to-do list for ages and I'm thrilled to say that I've finally gotten around to it. Now I am handy with a pair of knitting needles, but have never attempted stranding or complicated colour changes before. Well in true have a bash fashion I basically doodles out a pattern on a sheet of squared paper and knitted up a swatch. All looked well so I went about my first project - a pair of fair isle leg warmers:

I bought myself some fake fair isle leg warmers last winter - they look fine on the outside but there's no stranding on the back as they're primark's finest and wouldn't have been hand knitted. So I've been feeling guilty about that and have been meaning to make myself a pair for a while now.

Then I started reading Vanessa's posts over on Do You Mind If I Knit about her fair isle dress and was so chuffed for her when she finally finished it that it gave me the push I needed to go buy some yarn and knit knit knit!

Isn't it beautiful?? Now my leg warmers aren't nearly as intricate and well thought out as Vanessa's dress, but they do fulfil a fair few of my new year's resolutions - be more colourful, learn something new, make more things for me - and I love them!

I've finished one, and the measurements worked out fine so I'm onto the second already. I'll be sure to let you have a look at the finished article once I've finished sewing in all the loose ends and seams. But until then I'm contented to knit and stare at the dainty symmetry of the one I've already finished!

5 comments:

  1. Your project looks beautiful. Loving the colours you've used.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks - I think fair isle is to knitters what hexagons are to sewers - once you start it's so hard not to become obsessive! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi,

    They look gorgeous! really complicated though...
    Colleen

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow I am SO impressed! I love the colours too. I'm so envious of knitting talent, I have knitted jumpers but my tension is so loose it's not even funny! If you make more and want to sell them let me know as I'll put in the first order! (seriously!) :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fantastic! Just fantastic leg warmers, love 'em! And that's very kind of you to be so complimentary about my fair isle dress, thank you so much. Love Vanessa xxx

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for reading! Looking forward to your comment.