
I started this journey into Fair Isle with Knitsch 100% Merino Sock wool. 50 grams, 167m/182yd
Interestingly, this wool is the same base as Koigu.
Anyway, the colours on the Knitsch are bright to the point of blaring. Just how I like my colours.
Since I work in a wool shop however, I have access to lots of wools. To keep from suffering second item syndrome I decided to alternate the Knitsch knitting with The Rare Yarns Company Endare 4ply. This wool is 70% alpaca and 30% merino. Still 50 grams. Still 167m/182yd
Totally different outcome. One I like more as it turns out.

See the soft halo of alpaca in the strands above? Well, in Fair Isle these work brilliant to fill out the stitches and soften the stranding of colours.
I think of this colour combination as quite vintage. What do you think?

While I would be happy to put the differences in the two finished items down to my learning to strand better, in reality, the row gauge for the Endare is a bit more generous than the Knitsch, and the gentle ply structure of Endare is more appealing than the sock-purposed Knitsch as well.
Will I stop loving and using Knitsch? Of course not. Have I learned a lot? Absolutely. Am I delighted with such a wonderful outcome for Endare? You bet! And I even have a few other colour combinations to play with it in this pattern - can't wait!
You, though, will have to wait for a little longer for the pattern.