View Full Version : Fair Isle Drops Design Sweater - FINISHED! p.3
mwedzi
10-25-2006, 11:50 AM
I'm having so much fun with this fair isle stuff. It's fun! And I also learned how to weave in yarn along the back when there are more than 4 stitches in a single color. I look so cool and skilled doing it. :teehee: I'm obsessed with making this sweater. It's in Yummy Karabella Aurora 8 which is so nice to knit, too. I woke up at 3am and started knitting some more. This is my progress so far since I started 2 days ago.
The pattern is here: http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=97&d_id=24&lang=en
Eiline
10-25-2006, 12:13 PM
wow I love that.
Nice stuffs!
:cheering:
rebecca
10-25-2006, 12:24 PM
It's lovely!!!
Jan in CA
10-25-2006, 01:31 PM
That is going to be beautiful!! I like doing fair isle, too.
gardenmommy
10-25-2006, 01:39 PM
I can't wait to see it done! If you're up at 3:00 a.m. knitting, then it won't be long!
mrs desert rain
10-25-2006, 02:12 PM
Beautiful work!
I just ordered a ridiculous amount of Karabella Aurora 8 for my next two projects... I can't wait to get started!
BTW, I couldn't get your pattern link to work... could be that my satellite service is spotty, though.
mwedzi
10-25-2006, 02:57 PM
Beautiful work!
I just ordered a ridiculous amount of Karabella Aurora 8 for my next two projects... I can't wait to get started!
BTW, I couldn't get your pattern link to work... could be that my satellite service is spotty, though.
Isn't Aurora 8 fantastic? I almost hate it, finding an expensive yarn I like so much. Why can't I find a cheap yarn I like just as much?
It probably isn't your service. Drops has been having some problems, and for like 1/2 hour I couldn't knit :grrr: because I couldn't get the page to load and I needed to look at the chart. Try it again some time and it should work.
Amber
10-25-2006, 04:58 PM
oooh, that's going to be gorgeous! I want to try that yarn too -- sounds yummy!
callmesusan
10-25-2006, 08:57 PM
Cool sweater! Thanks for the :thumbsup: on the Faire Isle knitting. That is on my list of things-to-learn-how-to-do.
jamadian75
10-25-2006, 10:05 PM
I love the color combo in your Fair Isle. Looking great so far!
I bought enough Aurora 8 during a sale at KellyK's yarn store and I can't WAIT to knit with it.
BTW - that pattern is AMAZING
mrs desert rain
10-25-2006, 10:11 PM
Isn't Aurora 8 fantastic? I almost hate it, finding an expensive yarn I like so much. Why can't I find a cheap yarn I like just as much?
Oh, yes yes, mwedzi. I'll admit, I'm a woman of obsessions -- I find yarn (author, recipe, wine, etc.) I like, and it becomes my world, whatever the expense. :oops: (Kinda like these emoticons. I just figured out how to use them this week!)
I finally got through to the pattern. Very flattering design!
Ingrid
10-25-2006, 10:14 PM
Isn't it fun to watch the pattern develop? It's looking good so far!!
KnittyKitty
10-25-2006, 10:32 PM
Lookin' good! I can't wait to see the completed sweater!
Beautiful pattern and wonderful WIP. I am going to a fair isle class this weekend and I can't wait to try the technique.
Laura
Jaxhil
10-26-2006, 08:54 AM
Gorgeous!! I love the pattern, and your sweater is looking so good!
Where did you learn to weave in the backs as you go? I admit to changing fair-isle (even very basic ones) so that I don't have to weave anything in-I haven't got a clue how to do it!
mwedzi
10-26-2006, 09:22 AM
Where did you learn to weave in the backs as you go? I admit to changing fair-isle (even very basic ones) so that I don't have to weave anything in-I haven't got a clue how to do it!
I learned from my favorite knitting book, Teach Yourself Knitting Visually. I love that book. I'm not even a visual learner in particular, prefer written out instructions, but it is a well organized book with a great index and good written instructions to accompany the pictures.
I just learned the way I need to for what I'm doing, as it seems to differ depending on which yarn you're weaving and whether you're knitting or purling. Since I'm working in the round, I'm only doing the knit stitch. I held the yarn that needed to be woven in in my right hand, since the yarn in my left hand was worked for more than 4 stitches straight. To do it for this combo, insert the needle in the stitch and:
Step 1: Wrap the yarn to be woven (in my right hand) around the right needle as if to knit
Step 2: Wrap the working yarn (in my left hand) around the right needle as if to knit
Step 3: Bring the yarn to be woven back around to the back to its original position
And continue knitting. Not difficult at all. But you do look so cool when you do it!
Mo0nAngel
10-26-2006, 10:37 AM
Glad to know I'm not the only one up at 3am knitting!! :rofl: :rofl:
It looks great so far! :D can't wait to see it all done! :D
mwedzi
11-05-2006, 10:02 AM
This sweater is proving quite a challenge. Working fair isle on double pointed needles was kicking my butt! The sleeves were done on double pointed needles, and I unraveled the first sleeve 5 or 6 times. I could always get the pattern right, but I could never get it loose enough. It was always puckering. I'd be doing breathing exercises while knitting trying to keep it loose enough. I would have stepped it up to larger dpns to compensate for the tightening, but I didn't have any. I went ahead and ordered some but couldn't wait until they got here because I'm obsessed with this sweater. :zombie: I tell you, I'm up at ridiculous hours knitting this thing. Not having larger dpns but having 2 larger circular needles, I learned how to knit small diameter on two circs, but I had problems with laddering and it still didn't look right. Finally, I managed it on the dpn's by keeping it crazy loose (my stitches actually were visible hanging off the needles).
And then attaching the sleeves to start the yoke! Yikes! This can't be how all yokes are done. I saw another pattern that had a yoke and you knitted the front, back, and sleeves all flat. Then you pick up stitches from all of them and put them on a circular needle. For this, though, I had to insert a smaller diameter circle onto larger circular needles. It was really hard! Have any of you ever tried to do this? I think it was nearly the hardest thing I had to do in knitting! I was slipping stitches back and forth and working with dpns and circs at the same time, yikes! Finally I figured a way to do it a little easier, but it was quite difficult at first.
So now, after all that, I have this so far. You might think, looking at the size of the sweater with respect to that 50g ball of Aurora 8, that an adult can't fit this sweater, but trust me, it has super stretch. It will fit.
Ingrid
11-05-2006, 11:23 AM
That is turning out beautifully! Good for you for getting it all on the needles the right way! :cheering: Getting the sleeves on in this kind of yoke is ridiculously hard in the beginning and you're sure you're going to stretch the thing to shreds. But then again, HOW many seams are you going to have to sew when you're done? Hmmmm? :teehee:
mwedzi
11-05-2006, 11:34 AM
That is turning out beautifully! Good for you for getting it all on the needles the right way! :cheering: Getting the sleeves on in this kind of yoke is ridiculously hard in the beginning and you're sure you're going to stretch the thing to shreds. But then again, HOW many seams are you going to have to sew when you're done? Hmmmm? :teehee:
Thanks Ingrid. I had been thinking that I was missing something, but you saying that it is in fact difficult to do makes me feel like I was on the right track. I really did think I was going to stretch the poor thing out til it tore or something. Really, I couldn't even move the tips of my circulars until I realized that I had to put as many on as I possibly could until I could move the needles no more and then push the whole work down so that the stitches I had already put on were on the cord (that's flexible! duh), so I could then pull the needle up, bend the cord, and continue knitting.
But you are right, I will only have 2 seams to sew in when this is all done, just the underarm parts. I don't hate sewing seams as much as some people, but all the same, I'm really really bad at it, no matter how many tutorials I read on finishing. I think it may be the one knitting technique I'd be willing to spend money on a class for, cuz I suck at it.
janelanespaintbrush
11-05-2006, 11:40 AM
That sweater looks great! :notworthy:
FWIW, I've found that provisional cast on works well under the arms -- it allows you to work live stitches instead of having to pick up stitches or seam later.
KnittyKitty
11-05-2006, 11:54 AM
Oh Nikki! You are doing such wonderful work! Kudos to you for pulling though the rough times! The progress is beautiful! :cheering:
mwedzi
11-05-2006, 12:23 PM
That sweater looks great! :notworthy:
FWIW, I've found that provisional cast on works well under the arms -- it allows you to work live stitches instead of having to pick up stitches or seam later.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean. The sleeves were knit from the bottom up, so the cast on end is the cuff. I didn't have to pick up any stitches, just kept them live (on waste yarn) and then slipped them onto the circular needle.
janelanespaintbrush
11-05-2006, 12:38 PM
That sweater looks great! :notworthy:
FWIW, I've found that provisional cast on works well under the arms -- it allows you to work live stitches instead of having to pick up stitches or seam later.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean. The sleeves were knit from the bottom up, so the cast on end is the cuff. I didn't have to pick up any stitches, just kept them live (on waste yarn) and then slipped them onto the circular needle.
You know, it might not be possible with a bottom-up sweater. :oops: My bad!
mwedzi
11-05-2006, 12:49 PM
none of this --> :oops: only these ---> :hug:
thanks, you guys :heart:
Jan in CA
11-05-2006, 02:01 PM
Wow! That is just beautiful!!
that is GORGEOUS!!! i'm so impressed!
sunnyreflections
11-05-2006, 04:31 PM
It is gorgeous!
As far as "carrying" stitches there is another great site...
www.philosopherswool.com which is great for helping with Fair Isle.
gardenmommy
11-07-2006, 02:22 PM
I can't believe I missed your update!
THat is just SPECTACULAR! :notworthy: I can't wait to see your next photo of you WEARING it! :happydance:
Petals
11-08-2006, 08:09 AM
I love the design and colors you've choosen! Fantastic job! I have got to try this!
mks22300
11-08-2006, 08:32 PM
Wow! That looks awesome!!
mwedzi
11-10-2006, 01:33 PM
Thanks for the encouragement, everybody. :muah: Almost there. So the main yoke part is done and now I'm doing the turtleneck. The pattern says to do it on dpns, but I'd do it on a 16" circular anyway, if I actually had size 5 16" circs. But since I don't, it's on dpns and it feels like stitches are going to fall off every time I switch needles. Maybe I should get some rubber bands to put on the ends. But none have fallen off yet.
I had some trouble with puckering, particularly when weaving in yarn along the back. Hard for me to get the proper tension, as if I don't pull the yarn I weaved in tight enough, I can see it through the color that's supposed to be on top. But if I pull too tightly, it puckers in at that part. Also, interesting to see my different tension in English and Continental. In the uppermost fair isle part (with both burgundy and rust), it is approaching ribbing because I was always doing one stitch in English and the next in Continental and my tension is different. I hope blocking will lessen the inconsistencies a bit.
I had to change the color pattern a bit because I ran out of rust, too. Now I just hope I can finish without running out of white, cuz I have almost none left. I don't think I can. Anyone have 1/5 of one ball of color 1350? Anyone?
This is quite the learning experience.
Ingrid
11-10-2006, 01:37 PM
That's looking gorgeous!! Blocking works miracles with Fair Isle.
Jan in CA
11-10-2006, 02:00 PM
Beautiful!!! :inlove:
PurlyGyrl
11-10-2006, 03:04 PM
Wow :yay: , that's absolutely GOREGOUS! You go Girl :thumbsup: If I attempted fair isle knitting, I'd end up like this
:passedout:
:teehee:
mwedzi
11-18-2006, 11:27 PM
Well, it's done. I guess I'm okay with it, but I don't like my sloppy increases and the puckering, neither of which you can really see in the photo. Well, you can see the puckering at the waist a bit. But I guess it's alright and I will still wear it. Just found out I'm being taken skiing next month, so I'll be sure to wear this sweater then. It was really fun to knit.
Petals
11-18-2006, 11:32 PM
That is sooooo pretty! :heart: :heart:
Great Job! I've just got to try this.
Stiney
11-18-2006, 11:34 PM
Beautiful! :heart:
Ingrid
11-18-2006, 11:36 PM
It's turned out beautifully and it fits you perfectly! :cheering:
Amber
11-18-2006, 11:41 PM
:inlove: That is soooo beautiful!
merryknitter
11-19-2006, 12:10 AM
Your sweater is absolutely beautiful and it fits you perfectly...I see no imperfections! How long did it take you to knit?
Merry :)
GORGEOUS!!!!!! :cheering:
Jan in CA
11-19-2006, 01:25 AM
It looks beautiful!!
Lieke
11-19-2006, 04:55 AM
:inlove: It looks wonderful. I really really love it
HamburgKnitter
11-19-2006, 05:03 AM
:inlove: Wow! :notworthy: I'm so impressed!
Shandeh
11-19-2006, 05:10 AM
Excellent work!