Back to FairIsle

FairIsle was calling so I had to make a choice from my backlog of projects. "Alcea" won. This was purchased as a kit from She Ewe Knits and is from the Simply Shetland 3 book. The yarn is Jamieson's Shetland which I am really enjoying. Seems to be a little softer and has more loft than the J&S I had been using. The directions are for a pullover but I am turning it into a cardigan. It has such a large repeat that I have opted to do the smaller size but on a larger needle in order to get the correct size for me. I'm using Addi size 3 for the ribbing and size 4 for the body and it is working out fine.

Knitting on the Road to Florida

Not wanting to work from a chart while driving, I purchased Interweave's "Favorite Socks" book. After finishing two pair of mindless ribbed self-striping socks (one was left in Florida for a friend) I started the "Diagonal Cross Rib" socks. Finished one on the way home and the other after we arrived back to the snow and ice. Nice pattern and easy to knit. I had read several articles about short row heels that left me saying "Huh?" so decided the best way to learn how to do these was to just knit a pair and see what happened. Priscilla Gibson Roberts had a pair in the book so cast on and started. Once I got the hang of it, I found the method very easy and the fit was very nice. Directions called for size 2 & 3 needles which is just a tad loose for me so will use size 1 & 2 for my next pair. The heel and toe are very comfortable and the zig-zag bind off worked like a charm. This is definitely a method I will use again!

Finished Land & Sea

Finished the sweater just in time to wear during our blizzard. This is the small size, right to gauge, and it is BIG! Good thing I didn't make my usual large. It measures 47 1/2", right to the pattern. I have 2 full skeins of yarn left over, so those making the large would have plenty of yarn. It's lovely and warm, with lots of room for layering. It will get plenty of wear this month if the weather doesn't break soon. Got 10" of snow with a sleet crust and the wind is blowing a gale today. Only about 15 degrees and feels much colder. The rest of the yarn might just end up in a hat and socks.

Have the back of my "Land & Sea" pullover from Cottage Craft up to the armhole bind-off. It's going fairly quickly after doing all the fairisle sweaters. The color is Blue Spruce, fiber is soft though has some bits of hay to pick out. My fingers are already itching to get back to some colorwork, may have to break a rule and have two sweaters going at once.

Cottage Craft web site:
http://www.townsearch.com/cottagecraft/store.htm

Their sweater kits are very reasonable, I am pleased with mine.

Prince of Wales Finished

BIL's vest is finished. "Prince of Wales" from Meg Swansen's "Sweater's From Camp", done in Katia Mississippi 4 cotton/acrylic. I'm very pleased with the way the cotton worked in FairIsle. The gauge was right on, and the stitches are very even. I did an enclosed armhole ribbing as shown on the KidsKnit web site and was happy with the results. It was a little puffy but blocked out nicely. Used the cross stitch method on the neckline as I was afraid it would be too thick otherwise. Time will tell how the cotton will behave with wear. I'm happy, another bag of yarn used up, another project done! Next one will be the "Land and Sea" pullover from Cottage Craft, already started.

Nebraska Sunset

Got a phone call at 7:45AM two weeks before Christmas. It was Sam telling me to stop work on his vest, he wanted me to make a sweater for my sister for Christmas. I made a mad dash for the stash closet to see what was there, pulled out Nebraska Sunset hoping she would like the colors, and cast on that morning. Of course there wasn't enough time to finish but did manage to get the body done and wrapped it up with the needles still in it. She loved the colors and, glory be, it fit! Retreived the sweater and finished it up last week-end.

"Nebraska Sunset" is from Meg Swansen's "Sweaters From Camp" and is the 4th sweater I have done from this book. The fiber is Jamieson & Smith 2ply Jumper weight and needle size was Addi Turbo 5. I plan to make myself one of these one day but think I will use DK weight as the fabric is a little wimpy. Directions called for size 6 needles but in my opinion, that is too large for the 2ply yarn. Now back to the "Prince of Wales" vest, which is up to the shoulders and steeks are cut.

Prince of Wales Vest

My brother-in-law decided he would like a pullover vest. One problem - it could not be wool. The search started, there is not much non-wool fingering weight yarn on the market that is not in baby colors. Finally found some at my LYS, Katia "Mississippi 3" cotton/acrylic 60/40, but not a large range of colors as called for in most fairisle sweaters. By cutting back on colors and using one dark, two lights, one bright and two mediums I managed to put together a color scheme in the blues that he wanted. I had to go down one needle size to get the gauge but it is coming along nicely. The yarn is soft and can be machine washed. Although not as forgiving as Shetland, the fabric is smooth and stitches are laying flat.
The pattern is from one of my favorite books, Meg Swansen's "Sweaters From Camp".

Marina is finished! It was a fun knit, the colors glow. The sweater was from "This Morning Woolcraft", done with J&S Shetland on 3.5mm Addi circs. If I were to knit this again, I would definitely do a crew neck cardigan and make it longer.

Marina Progress

After spending a weekend on Monhegan Island at a knitting retreat, Marina has progressed nicely. We spent evenings in our building - an 1840 home converted to a dorm - in a parlor knitting by kerosene lantern and head lamps. What a good time we had. I came home with Marina above the armholes. It has now progressed to the shoulder bind-off and have started on the sleeves. I chose to do a 3 needle bind off instead of grafting the shoulders. Had a little problem with this as there was an extra stitch at the beginning and end of the shoulder. After taking it out once, I decided to knit 3 stitches together on the first and last bind off instead of 2. Worked out fine and the pattern matches beautifully. Have cut the armhole steek and started the first sleeve. I am really enjoying working on this sweater, the colors just glow.

Poetry in Stitches

Also on the needles, cardigan from Solveig Hisdal's Poetry in Stitches. Work has progressed to the neck decreases. It has been put aside for awhile as "Marina" KAL has started. The fiber is Hifa, a Norwegian 100% wool 2ply purchased as a kit from Nordic Fiber Arts.

Start of "Marina" KAL

On the needles, Alice Starmore's "Marina" Fair Isle Cardigan. Ribbing is done, now on to the patterns. I am using the Woolcraft version, a v-neck cardigan.

And Even More Socks!

Too hot to work on a large sweater, so I have been busy making socks. Pastel colors in Cascade Fixation cotton/elastic is from Cascade's web page, "Fancy Feet". Funny fiber to work with, like knitting with rubber bands. Blue socks are "Child's First Sock" from Nancy Bush's Vintage Socks. Done with Regia superwash, colorway is "short color". Rust socks are Jeanie Townsend's "Maple Leaf", the July Townsend KAL. Done with KnitPicks "Memories" merino wool, color Redwood Forest. Last pair is still in progress, Sockamaniac's July KAL, "Fetzensocken" from Germany, done with STR superwash merino, colorway is Cobblestone County. A very addictive and beautiful pattern! The needles in my work are the black walnut 5" double points from Golding Fiber Tools, love them. Check out their website for more info. They also have lots of spindles for spinners. All socks were made with size 1 double points, top down.

Golding Fiber Tools
http://www.dropspindle.info

More Socks

Two more pairs of socks to add to my collection. Moc Crocs, from KnitPicks.com, made with their "Dancing" yarn in wool,cotton,nylon & elastic. Fun pattern to knit, the yarn is very stretchy and elastic, fits the foot nicely. A good summer sock!

Aran Braid for a sock-a-long, knit with Fortissima Socka in 75/25 super wash wool, color Jager. An interesting braid and cable and nice yarn to work with.

Both done on size 1 double points, top down.

Fisherman Socks

Have finished my Fisherman Socks for the May/June Sock-a-manic sock-a-long. They were designed by Monika Eckert. I used Regia 75/25 wool and size 1 needles.

PW Sweater Finished

Hubby's Philosopher's Wool pullover is finished and is a perfect fit! Too warm to wear it now but it will get plenty of wear this Fall. I did run out of one color and was able to match it almost exactly, have plenty of the main color left over. I joined the sleeves with a 3 needle bind off, first time I have tried that, and am very happy with the results. The yarn did bleed quite a bit when it was washed but did no harm. It was knitted with size 7 Addi circular needles.

Next Project on the Needles

Hubby's Pullover, picked out and colors chosen by him. This is the Traditional from "Fair Isle Sweaters Simplified" by Ann Bourgeois of Philosopher's Wool. The fiber is Philosopher's 2 ply worsted in colors Peat, Wine, Anne, Rust, and Yellow. I'm knitting on size 7 needles to get the gauge. After two projects using J&S Shetland, this yarn feels like rope in my hands. It knits up very rapidly, only two evenings into it and the sleeve is half done. The wool is soft and quite heavy.

Pullover Finished

My SFCKAL Traditional Pullover is finished! It was a lot of fun to knit and I have fiber for five more sweaters in baggies waiting in line. The fit is perfect and I had no trouble at all knitting up the sleeves. I used Jamieson & Smith Jumper weight in the following colors:

#81, Charcoal
#27,Medium Gray
#43,Crimson
#FC6, Lt. Pink Heather
#FC10,Dk. Rose Heather

and one Jamieson Shetland Jumper weight:

#144 Turf

It was knitted on size 5 needles.

Traditional Jumper Update

After knitting on my sweater all the way to Key West and back up the East Coast, and a week-end knitting retreat, work is progressing nicely. I have invested in several Addi Turbo needles and am getting a much better tension with them. I'm not really happy with the underarm gusset as the pattern doesn't continue quite the way I would like it to, but........ who's going to see it anyway. We had a wonderful vacation in the warm (80's) South, and Anne and I made a large dent in the LYS in Camden supply of Jamison Shetland! I now have multiple FairIsle projects lined up, should keep me busy for a few weeks (read years)! What a good time we had!

Next Fair Isle Project

I've started the "Traditional" pullover from SFC. After knitting half of the first pattern repeat friend AnneB thought it looked small so we measured it. It measured 34" and I measure 39"..... so it was ripped out and re-knit on larger needles. Now on a size 5 it is coming out exactly to gauge and I am starting the second pattern repeat. I'm finding this one much easier to do than the "Northwest Sunset" vest because it is a very easy pattern to memorize, and there are no long strands.