I have a new mantra......
Swatching is good,
Swatching is nice,
I swatch so I won't have to knit it twice!
(This is probably not original to me, but it feels like it is, so maybe it is. If someone else yells that it's their poem - sorry about that.)
Lorraine was lucky enough to attend Ann Feitelson's color workshop and is showing off her swatch from the class. After a few comments from people who apparently don't swatch, I came up with the above bit of poetry (it doesn't happen often, which is probably just as well).
Tracey was asking me for advice about a good first Fair Isle project. Welllll, I've only done the one Fair Isle so far. WendyKnit's Fearless Fair Isle. (By the way, this is my usual modus operandi. Use a pattern for the first one, then leap into designing my own or at the very least, drastically modifying a pattern to my own specifications.) If you want to try something less drastic than a whole sweater, Anne of SheEweKnits has several hat kits that look very cute.
I also recommend Anne's Fair Isle 101 tutorial. Good step-by-step instructions. Ann Feitelson's The Art of Fair Isle Knitting is a good book for technique and color planning.
A warning though....Fair Isle is extremely addictive. (But that's ok, we need more Fair Isle addicts!)
Mysterious Christmas knitting..... (details later)
Swatching is good,
Swatching is nice,
I swatch so I won't have to knit it twice!
(This is probably not original to me, but it feels like it is, so maybe it is. If someone else yells that it's their poem - sorry about that.)
Lorraine was lucky enough to attend Ann Feitelson's color workshop and is showing off her swatch from the class. After a few comments from people who apparently don't swatch, I came up with the above bit of poetry (it doesn't happen often, which is probably just as well).
Tracey was asking me for advice about a good first Fair Isle project. Welllll, I've only done the one Fair Isle so far. WendyKnit's Fearless Fair Isle. (By the way, this is my usual modus operandi. Use a pattern for the first one, then leap into designing my own or at the very least, drastically modifying a pattern to my own specifications.) If you want to try something less drastic than a whole sweater, Anne of SheEweKnits has several hat kits that look very cute.
I also recommend Anne's Fair Isle 101 tutorial. Good step-by-step instructions. Ann Feitelson's The Art of Fair Isle Knitting is a good book for technique and color planning.
A warning though....Fair Isle is extremely addictive. (But that's ok, we need more Fair Isle addicts!)
Mysterious Christmas knitting..... (details later)
Not so mysterious Christmas knitting.... I was looking through a few stitch dictionaries this week and found this one under Feather and Fan or under Old Shale (so take your pick). I'm at 35" right now and think I may have enough for another 7 or 8". Not terribly long for a scarf, but then again my MIL is only about 5'1" so a shorter scarf will probably look pretty good.
This handsome fellow was in heaven at the local plant nursery (aka butterfly buffet) this weekend. He (she?) took full advantage of all the 'Pinks'.
My swatches are just full sized ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat's a sock! Cashmere for MIL? She must be special!
Yay! Thanks for all the great "starters". I am thinking about a hat kit.
ReplyDeleteHi Cynthia- I like the poem. Wouldn't it have been a complete hoot if all the grrrlz- showed up at the workshop. I would be so thrilled to meet you!
ReplyDeleteAnd not much swatching would be happening, I suspect.
Love the scarf- old shale.
Oh, you are so right, that's a good mantra. I need to adopt it. I'm terrible about not doing swatches, and then I end up with an end product that I have to give away because it's too small.
ReplyDeleteFair isle is definitely addictive. It's all I can think about lately!
*sigh*... I only swatch if I'm substituting! But I'm with Marina - my swatches are just full sized!
ReplyDeleteI looooove the scarf!
Me too! With Marina. Sadly some of my full sized swatches get frogged because maybe....just maybe...I should have made a smaller one.
ReplyDeletePretty butterfly....nice scarf!
There are two really good things I've noticed already with the Blogger Beta version -- you can put categories on your posts (for easy searching), and when someone like you leaves a message, it provides a link back to your Blogger profile, so that I can find you easier!
ReplyDelete