Fair isle knitting

[Howdidigetsoold]

I am thinking oh taking up knitting again (to pass the time over winter)

I have never knitted fair isle but would like one - is it difficult? I can do cable etc but that’s one colour.

Suppose I should start with something small and answer my own question :-).

Fair isle/stranded knitting is often done in the round, so if you haven't done that you might want to start there. from a series by Very Pink on stranded knitting to give you an idea of it. The easiest way to do it is to carry one yarn in each hand, but there are other techniques too.

Learn 2 handed knitting to stop your colours getting tangled. It’s really easy and was a game changer for me.

It's not that hard and there are various ways of getting the same result. It can be worked on two needles with knit adn purl rows.

A common pitfall is for the strands to be too tight and pull the knitting in. I get over this by holding the dominant colour as usual and leaving the contrast colour loose, just picking it up when needed.

Thanks! Will give those a try on something small and then pick a jumpers x

@lazylinguist is a bit of a wiz when it comes to fair Isle knitting.

Marking place. I can do cable & lace, but Fair Isle looks really tricky!

You'd be more than welcome on our long running crochet, knit and natter thread.
There's fair Isle and all sorts going on

I wouldn't say that, @CrochetBug

@Howdidigetsoold - do come and join in on the Knit, Crochet and Natter threads. Lots of help and inspiration on there.

I'm a big fan of Fairisle. I've recently made a jumper and a sleeveless jumper with Fairisle yokes and I'm currently making a Fairisle hat for dh. I did teach myself to knit two-handed when I first learned to knit Fairisle, but I actually find it a bit awkward and uncomfortable, so it doesn't really make me any quicker than when I just pick up and drop each yarn, so I've gone back to doing that now. Plus knitting two-handed messes with my tension a bit, I think.

I think Fair Isle is easier than Aran .. at the moment I'm knitting a hat in the round using an Aran pattern, and decreasing while maintaining the cables and a sort of diagonal moss stitch is proving quite a challenge.

Fair Isle is all about the tension so you just need to practise. I put the main colour round my index finger and the second round my middle finger, both on my right hand. If it needs to be stranded across the back for more than four stitches, I wind the two strands round each other.

Maybe try a cushion first? Or a hat. It's really fun and satisfying to do - go for it!

I think Fair Isle is easier than Aran

I agree - I am crap at getting the tension right when doing cables! I had to frog a whole aran hat because it wouldn't go onto my (fairly small) head, as I'd cabled too tightly!

If you’re new to it I’d maybe start with Icelandic patterns as the technique is similar but simpler.

I do a bit of Fair Isle but still have to focus on getting tension right -otherwise the yoke is too tight and you can see the recipient’s face turn blue as they pretend it’s a perfect fit. It’s a very enjoyable way of knitting though.

I usually have a fairly firm tension but with stranding you can't be too loose, even if you drop and pick up yarn like a beginner, IYSWIM. Practise a bit and you'll soon see how it comes out.