Saturday, November 15, 2008

"By George I Think She's Got It"

Have just finally discovered that fair isle is fun, fair isle is
fairly easy once you do it right...and fair isle is
addicting, when you've finally got it.

Today's hat is the Skull Hat...as seen first on Ravelry of course
pattern by Gina Doherty and can be found here:
http://knittwotogether.typepad.com/
had trouble linking directly so
when you get to her blog, just type in on Right column if interested in
free pattern...skull hat.

Yarn for hat is Patons wool, white and black...so with double layer because of
floats plus it's lined...there are 3 layers of wool...so will be very warm.
Unsure who will get this hat...hopefully one of my son's will finally claim
one of my knitted projects.

Photo is of youngest son with hat and cat...kinda like a Dr. Suess kind of thing.
Hmmm.





This is ta da my very first successful fair isle pattern
and actually came out looking pretty much like other's finished pics on Ravelry...hooray. I think I finally caught on...

I needed to do two color stranding one strand in
each hand...tried every other way and this actually worked!!
I am a thrower...who knew before I started knitting, I would be termed as a
thrower...if the shoe fits wear it I guess.
So in my right hand, I throw, in my left hand, I hold less dominant color and I
pick it continental style. This took some getting used to, however going pretty
quickly now, and it's too much fun...a great knitting friend of mind, she is a
great person and a greater knitter...(hello Barbara)...hee hee...
said that this style of knitting tends to be addictive
because you can actually see pattern developing while you knit
which in turn makes you tend to knit faster and faster.
I think she hit the nail on the head so to speak...
that is so true...My only problem is I knit so rapidly, that I tend to go
right into a second row of same pattern, and have to tear out stitches
and move my marker up a row...such an eager beaver.

I went to my third guild meeting this week...and someone
there actually commented on current hat...another fair isle project, and she evidently also loves fair isle and discovered it years ago...
told her I was a total addict and could
knit nothing else now....
~So how long does this addiction last?, I asked her...she said she is
still hooked many years later...

Also wondering if I will ever return to just one color stockinette knitting
ever again...
She also warned me that soon I would go past two colors...
but I was born with only two hands so can't fathom yet just how
this will work out for me.

But husband claims absolutely never is he going to be coerced into knitting. was secretly plotting that with his extra hand could actually work in third color but no....
He does however willingly stop at Patternworks in NH and sits dutifully in car
reading paper and is quite patient, and also xmas and birthday gifts are of a
creative and most importantly unsuggested fiber type gift....hooray...
Holidays in my house are going pretty spectacular fiberwise!!

Blog of day is by: Grumperina aka Kathy from Massachusetts
and no, I do not know her even though she lives in same state.
I bet most folks if you haven't seen her blog before will recognize her as she writes awesome patterns.
But her latest beaded hat is a must knit for me of course. Okay not
fair isle, but still part of major hat obsession....
She is guilty/most known for her patterns of Odessa and Jaywalker socks...yup
now you know who I mean.
http://www.grumperina.com/knitblog/



and by the way, it's still raining again today...