Jon's Knit Blog

A lot of people who admire Fair Isle don't realise the very simple facts that there are only ever two colours in a row, and that within each row the pattern repeat is usually quite routine. But still, to do a whole sweater on those little needles and keep picking it up when you knitted all last night and it was only about an inch, I think you should take all the praise you can get. Any fool can knit a scarf out of novelty yarn, Fair Isle takes staying power :)

There's that, and there's the fact that working with two yarns at the same time (as opposed to stripes) is hard to get used to for a lot of people. And tension in colorwork is a bit harder to get right than tension in single-color st st. I think.

Plus, it just LOOKS complicated, and even though we knitters know that it's "just knitting, with extra stuff," it's just damned impressive looking. And gorgeous. Bravo.

Funny, right before I scrolled down to paragraph #4, I was thinking "I'm so impressed." I've done a bit of stranded knitting; I think the scope and complexity of your sweater adds to its impressiveness--and I can see that you've mastered the even tension thing.

I'm delighted that you're going to be in the Bay Area--we'll have to meet up.

Don't sell yourself short - that sweater is damn impressive!! All those stitches to knit, wow! Take all the praise and ego-boosting you can get!

I also thought Will and Grace was very funny last night. That ER line was classic. The Fair Isle is looking sooooo beautiful. Continued good luck with it.

Ditto. :)

I found you through SistahCraft's blog.

Jon-Get a piece of white paper, and draw some dark lines on it-like from a Sharpie or a marker. Place it on top of the object you're photographing, then focus on it by pressing the shutter release half-way and holding it there. That will focus on the paper, lock exposure, and lock the white balance. Then remove the paper and complete the shutter press. It usually works... (The lines give the camera something to focus on. The brighter white the paper, the better.)

What everybody else already said about your knitting... plus YES, W&G was so funny when they couldn't quit laughing at each other (he was doing such a great job).

I think I'm gonna try my first FI project as an 8" afghan square. If I mess it up nobody will probably really know, right? It's not like I'm gonna wear it or something. :)

This is for Laura: why not knit an 8" FI square, then continue from one edge in a single colour until it's as long as a scarf, and then knit another 8" FI square? Everybody will see it and you will get lots of compliments, and then you'll b able to do a whole sweater. That's how I started doing intarsia.

i taught myself how to do fi, it was on a hat. i was taught to knit by my mother, but one summer with my spoiling grandma shot my skills above my teacher's. so really i didn't think it was all that hard

That is going to be one beautiful sweater! I love the colors you have chosen. I don't recall from previous posts, this sweater is for you, right?

Thank you for posting the picture of the front and the back of work for me. It looks a lovely from the back as it does from the front. How do you do that? Mine first try at color work is coming along well, but the back is not near is tidy as yours! More practice is what I need.

I think your fair isle is lovely - the color mixture is inspired and I thingk you are doing a great job. Be impressed with yourself! Oh, I loved that line on ER too! Very well deserved.