After a weekend knitting marathon, I am THIS CLOSE to finishing my Mom’s afghan. You may note that my deadline to finish the afghan was January 15th. That was, of course, before I realized that I hadn’t finished one of the squares. I did finish the edging my the 15th and now I’m working on the completion of that square. I would like to get it in the mail tomorrow. I worked non-stop on it this weekend, thinking it wouldn’t be possible to finish it, but giving it my best try. And, I finished it. I am amazed! I still have nothing to show for it, since I didn’t want to show it to you unfinished, so I promise a picture filled post with my afghan in all it’s glory tomorrow.
Since I have finished one marathon, I am embarking upon another knitting challenge. The 2006 Knitting Olympics! Yes, I’m a joiner, and I’m okay with that. One of my New Year’s goals was to challenge myself with some Fair Isle Knitting, a first for me. I thought there was no better venue in which to learn a new skill than when on a 16 day time schedule. Yes, I’m a joiner AND I’m crazy. But really, I figured I might as well make my many hours in front of the TV watching the olympics productive. Now, I have to decide upon an item to knit. I want to learn Fair Isle so I can knit Helga. I refuse to spend the money to make this sweater without first refining my Fair Isle skills. Since this is my first go at Fair Isle, and I want it to be a fairly inexpensive endeavor, I am thinking about making a Teddy Bear Sweater (a la Threadybear) or a baby sweater (since there are many babies on the horizon for my friends).
This is where you come in. Do you have a pattern that you would recommend to a newbie Fair Isle-ist? Please help, my Gold Medal depends on it. š
onestitchshort 
Oh my gosh I love Helga! That is going on my list for sure, along with a Dale Sweater with a small Fair Isle pattern that I want to do as well.
I knit Dale’s Gerbera http://fiberfever.typepad.com/photos/all_done/gerbera226.html
as my first Fair Isle sweater and it was pretty easy. I would suggest picking a sweater like Gerbera or Helga that has the pattern in a small area, just to get your feet wet.
Wendy’s Baby Norgi is supposed to be a good introduction, right? And steeking too!
I too love Helga, and am planning to take on the Fair Isle this year. I know the cardigan in SnB Nation is supposed to be good – I think it is called “First Fair Isle”… š
Good luck – I look forward to seeing your work! perhaps it will spur me on!
I’m reconnecting with sewing, too. I’ve had a machine for several years, but I’m just getting into the last couple months. I won a “new” machine (a Singer from 79 or so) that I should have in a couple days. I can’t wait. Good luck with your sewing!
Blow it out your Brass would have been so perfect! I made it for a girl on Craftster who played Tuba and Trombone. Maybe I’ll make her another just for the hell of it.
Any sweater which uses a single band across the chest, or also bands on the sleeves and sweater bottom are good. You just don’t want a true Fair Isle which is nothing but bands of color, row after row. The ones with just a few bands are more Norwegian than Fair Isle. Dale of Norway is a great source and very good patterns and charts. Wendy J did a Baby Norgi in Knitty.com a while back. Debbie Bliss is a good source for stranded colorwork. Enjoy!
Here’s a good tutorial to learn fair-isle. It includes a sample pattern. This technique teaches two-color knitting holding one yarn in each hand and picking with the left and throwing with the right. Have fun with it – I did!
http://www.philosopherswool.com/Pages/Streamingvideo.htm
Great news on the afghan!!
I’m considering being joiner too…
I’ll actually be HOME for those dates — BUT – it’s also dating season in NYC…
hmmm…knit, date…
Knit…Date…
I’ll have to see if any of the stash yells at me when I get home.