Knitting Daily : Fall

Fair Isle: Tips and a Step-By-Step Tutorial

KD Sandi — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 17:12:00 GMT

Note from Sandi: I've heard that a lot of people have fallen in love with Pam Allen's Fresco Fair Isle Mitts (see the photo? Pretty!) in the new Fall issue of Knits. I think it's the soft colors waving across the back of the hand, with the one unexpected splash of brightness in the middle. Some of you, however, are wondering if you can pull off the colorwork and still have the mitts be flexible, comfortable, and stretchy enough to fit. I remembered that there was an excellent Fair Isle tutorial in the now sold-out Fall/Winter 2005 issue of Knitscene magazine, and decided it was a perfect time to reprint it here on Knitting Daily. Below, I have given you the overview from the article, plus a few important tips to make the best of your stranded knitting. However, the fab part of that section of Knitscene was the step-by-step tutorial and practice swatch instructions. I've put the entire Fair Isle tutorial into a free downloadable PDF. Good stuff!

Did you know? The term "Fair Isle" refers to a special kind of stranded knitting, one in which the colors form one of hundreds of the traditional patterns of the Fair Isles. If the pattern is not one of the traditional "Fair Isle" patterns, then even if it only uses two colors per row, it is more properly referred to simply as "stranded knitting." All Fair Isle is stranded knitting, but not all stranded knitting is Fair Isle, in other words.

Fair Isle Knitting: It's Easier Than You Think
excerpted from Knitscene Fall/Winter 2005

Knitting in Fair Isle involves working two or more colors on one row of a pattern. It isn't much more complicated than knitting or purling in one color, but it can produce some really stellar fabrics. Basically, you'll work a few stitches in one color, then the next few in a second color--both balls of yarn always staying attached to the work. The color that isn't being worked is carried across the back of the knitting, making a snug loop, a "float," before being worked again. Floats add thickness and warmth to a garment, as they essentially add an inside lining to the sweater. Most Fair Isle patterns only call for two colors in any given row.

Tips

Make sure your floats aren't carried too tightly across the wrong side of the work, or the fabric will pucker. An easy trick is to spread out the stitches on the right needle every time you change colors. This will give the float the same horizontal stretch as the stitches on the needles.

To prevent tangling of the two strands of yarn, always pick up the first color over the second, and pick up the second color from under the first. Sometimes keeping one ball on your right side and one between your legs helps keep them apart.

Download our free step-by-step Fair Isle Tutorial!

Want to learn more about colorwork in your knitting? A beautiful, beautiful book that teaches you how to work with color is Deb Menz's Colorworks: The Crafter's Guide to Color. She uses over 300 handmade swatches to illustrate her lessons, and those pictorial guides are alone worth the price of the book!

Purchase Colorworks: The Crafter's Guide to Color

Of course you can buy our books online, but don't forget to give your local yarn shop some love--and your business!

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

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Every knitter has dreamed of the perfect cardigan pattern that he or she might knit some day. From a cozy cable knit to luminous lace, this free ebook will be your dream come true. This is a wonderful and varied collection of cardigans-which is one of the most important pieces in your wardrobe. You'll want to make every one of these knit cardigan patterns, so download your free eBook now and get started (and don’t forget to tell a friend so they can enjoy their own copy!).

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The Fall Knits Preview is here!

KD Sandi — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:25:00 GMT

A note from Sandi:

The new Fall 2008 issue of Interweave Knits is here! And that means it's PREVIEW TIME...so I asked Eunny Jang, the editor of Knits, to tell us all what knitting treats await us:

It's July right now–in Baltimore, that means steaming sidewalks, iced tea, and ball games–but fall is right around the corner. Within a couple months, cooler weather will be here–in knitting time, that's just one sweater, or two vests, or four pairs of socks away. Within the pages of Knits, you‚ll find ample inspiration to prepare for the coming of fall: quick, flattering knits out of bulky yarns; projects that mix and match fibers and weights (hello, stash!); projects that explore unique constructions; and projects of all sizes that explore the things wool can do.

That last story is one of my favorites. It captures what our editorial knitting stories are all about–exploring the many directions a single inspiration can go in, giving insight in the process–but I also think of it as an example of how good, how satisfying, knitting is at all levels, in all facets. For me, getting back to basics with knitting never feels boring or tired: those stitches, those yarns, those movements are always compelling, because there's always something new to try, something new to explore or learn, and something new to be made every time. Wool? Sure, we know all about it. But think about how it changes when used in different blends, when spun in a different way, when worked up into a different kind of fabrics. Wool feels basic, but there's an awful lot to explore there. Plus, between sweaters, socks, accessories, and more, there's an awful lot to make.

So get knitting, and dig into the aspects of knitting you find most fascinating. Is it fiber? Perhaps our yarn articles will scratch the itch, or maybe the projects that consider fiber qualities carefully, and play them off each other for maximum effect. Is it constructions? Look for innovative tailoring and asymmetrical shapes. Technique? Understand and perfect invisible cast ons and bind offs once and for all with Beyond the Basics. Design? Check out what Kate Gilbert has to say about her design process.

Welcome fall!

View the Preview of the Fall 2008 issue of Interweave Knits magazine!

Eunny Jang
Editor, Interweave Knits

The Knitscene Galleries Begin!

KD Sandi — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:36:00 GMT

You Voted For Them!

Two weeks ago, I asked you to vote for the garments you'd like us to include in the very first KD Knitscene Gallery (what's a Gallery? see below). Your votes are in, and here are your top Gallery choices (in no particular order):

Ahlstrom Bodice by Lou Schiela
Brocade Leaves Pullover by Kathy Zimmerman
Dirndl Raglan by Amanda Furlan
Kaftan Dress by Salena Lee
Opulent Raglan by Wendy Bernard
Riding to Avalon by Connie Chang Chinchio

Today, we have two Galleries ready for you to enjoy (while we finish getting the others ready!):

Ahlstrom Bodice Gallery

Brocade Leaves Pullover Gallery

This time, eight Gallery Gals gathered in a tiny basement photography studio to have our photos taken by Ann Swanson, a talented photographer for many of our Interweave magazines and books. I bought a pretty curtain to serve as a backdrop and borrowed a plant from someone's office to give a bit of atmosphere. The new set-up gave us all a chance to really focus on making sure everything was just right: How do you show off a pretty bit of waist shaping? What is the best position to stand in? Is it better to take a front view, a side view, or both? And most important of all: What the heck do you do with your HANDS?

As you will see, we did a lot of experimenting with all of the above, in an effort to really show off the garments, their fit, and their style, to all of you. We had a fabulous time! We hope you enjoy the Galleries half as much as we enjoyed doing them.

Stay tuned for more Galleries: Coming Up: The Kaftan Dress, Opulent Raglan, Dirndl Raglan, and Riding to Avalon.

What's a Gallery? It's where I take the original sample garment from the magazine and persuade several women try it on and let me take their photo, to show you different varieties of fit and flatter. I provide individual commentaries for each picture, with suggestions for customization for each woman. There's only one garment for each design, so sometimes the sweater doesn't fit--that's where the commentaries get really interesting, as we explore why it doesn't fit, and how to alter it so it does fit!

See all past Galleries!

Sandi Wiseheart is the founding editor of Knitting Daily. She is now the author of the popular Knitting Daily blog: What's on Sandi's Needles.

Knit Cardigan Patterns From Knitting Daily: 7 FREE Knitting Patterns

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Behind the Scenes At Knitscene Magazine

KD Sandi — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:43:00 GMT

A note from Sandi: Are you ever curious how a magazine is dreamed up--and the dreams made real--by the editors? What inspires them? How do they take those inspirations and turn them into real-life sweaters in those gorgeous photographs we all love to drool over? I asked Katie Himmelberg, the style editor of Knitscene magazine, to share some of the process with us, from inspiration to photo session...

The Making of Knitscene
by Katie Himmelberg, Knitscene's style editor

The “look” for each issue of Knitscene is decided upon about nine months before the magazine hits newsstands. Editor Lisa Shroyer and I collaborate on ideas for the themes; they might originate with a movie we watched, a photo, or trends we’ve spied from fashion magazines, blogs, and of course, knitters! Then, to give our designers a clear idea of what types of projects we’re looking for, I gather images from all those sources and create a “mood board” for each theme. We discuss what kinds of silhouettes fit the story and techniques the projects might include.

The Projects
Then, after the submissions come in from designers, Lisa makes her final selection and we choose yarns for the projects. Color is a very important element in making all the projects in one story work together and look cohesive in the end, and it is very influential in how the project will be styled for the shoot. The yarn goes off to designers, and then we wait and wait and wait. Seeing the projects as they come in is very exciting, and then seeing them all together in their “stories” is another thrill.

At this point, we begin to talk more specifically about how we’d like to shoot the projects; sometimes our initial ideas for sets or clothes change after seeing the garments in person. Sometimes we even put a project or two into a story different from the one it was originally designed for! So much is dependent on actually seeing the garments together. Don’t get me wrong; our designers do a great job with their proposals, giving us a clear idea of what the final product will be—there’s just nothing like seeing the actual piece, live and in-person.

The Photoshoot
Next up: the fun and exhausting task of preparing for the photoshoot! We hold a model casting call with local amateur/non-models. We like to use everyday people as models, since they reflect our readership and lend a natural, authentic feel to the magazine. We meet with our photographer to go over our ideas and possible locations. And I shop. Since we are shooting for the fall issue in the spring and vice versa, I scour thrift stores for unique and out-of-season pieces, and fill in with items from department and discount stores. I like to keep the styling accessible; we don’t really need $300 jeans and such! The looks in Knitscene are a little more refined and accessorized than you might see on the street, but overall I think they reflect the everyday wearability of the projects. The look is more free-spirited and funky than the classic look of Interweave Knits.

After we’ve chosen our models and done most of the shopping, we have a pre-shoot day where we have the models come in and try on the projects and clothes to see who looks best in each. I take notes on what works and what doesn’t and what I still might need to shop for. At this point, I also try out accessories with the projects and make lots of lists organizing who will wear what, with which outfit and extras, and hair and makeup ideas.

We shoot Knitscene over three days, one day for each story, to allow for set and location changes. Photoshoots are hectic and exhausting, but they are also a lot of fun and the final result makes the hard work worth it. Our days begin early. Lisa and I arrive as the photographer and make-up artist are getting set-up, and I organize and steam the projects and clothes we’ll be shooting that day. Shortly after, the first model arrives and we get her prepped for the first shot. It always feels great to get that first shot under our belt! It usually takes the longest to prep and then we are on a roll after that.

View the Fall 2008 Preview of Knitscene magazine!

Knitscene is having a Gallery of its own!

Yes, that's right: Knitting Daily is going to have a Knitscene Gallery, to celebrate all the fabulous garments in the Fall 2008 issue. However...there are 33 designs in that magazine, and the Knitscene folks and I found that we were having a hard time choosing which ones to feature in the Gallery. So we thought we would let you help us choose!

Vote for the Knitscene Gallery Garments!

What is a Gallery? For several of the past issues of Interweave Knits, Sandi Wiseheart and her trusty band of Gallery Gals and Guys have tried on some of the actual sample garments from the magazine photoshoot, to give you an idea of what the garments look like on a range of shapes and sizes. There is only ONE sample garment for each design, and since all of us are different, Sandi writes an individualized commentary for each person, noting where adjustments might (or might not) be made to get the most fabulous fit for each and every body. Every person who tries on the garments finds surprises ("I never thought I could wear that!"); each time we do a Gallery, the feedback from readers is that the Galleries are extremely helpful in helping them to choose and fit their own sweaters. Come join the fun!

View past Galleries!

Come See the Knitscene Fall 2008 Preview!

KD Sandi — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:41:00 GMT

A note from Sandi:

The new Knitscene is here, and there is no one better to tell you about it than Lisa Shroyer, Knitscene's editor. Heeeerrrreee's Lisa:

I’m excited to bring you the preview for the Fall 2008 issue of Knitscene!

What is fun to make and wearable in real life?
What’s slightly quirky and unique without being outlandish?
What is a good use of a yarn?
What do people need in their closets?

The collection you’ll find in this issue of Knitscene is what we worked up on the basis of those questions. These are not novelty projects or purely conceptual, these are work-horse knits that fit into everyday life and can become funky or trendy through styling. At the end of the day, though phenomenal and intriguing as knits, these projects are real clothes. There’s no greater pleasure than getting repeated use out of a sweater you made—loving every stitch!

What is Knitscene?

Knitscene is a special magazine that comes out twice a year from Interweave Press, featuring easy, stylish projects that are fun to make. In this issue, you’ll find sweaters for fall, lots of accessories like hats, scarves, socks, and mitts, and projects that explore color-work, texture, and silhouette in intriguing ways. We work with themed story-lines in Knitscene; in this issue, we present a modern take on the medieval silhouette; a colorful outdoor story that’s filled with outerwear like cardigans and vests; and a globally-inspired story, featuring region-specific styles like the Kimono Socks, the Himalayan vest, and more. Enjoy the preview!

Lisa Shroyer
Editor

View the Fall 2008 Preview of Knitscene magazine!