Knotty Knickers

Whooooo Wants A Freebie, Whoot?

Found a link to this super sweet and useful make your own owlie calender - I've put one together for a gift, but I might do another for me too!  Enjoy...

Oh...and Alex thinks the title of this is bad.  hehehehe

Continuing My Fair Isle Learning Curve

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. 

Fair Isle Visa Day

That there is the letter that accompanyied my passport and work visa for this fair isle of New Zealand today. 

HURRAH!  YIPPEE!  AMEN!  THANK YOU! 

For the first time since we've known one another Alex and I can take a breather from immigration worries.  The residency visa is away and beginning its long journey back to me (3-6 months to be assigned to someone, 6-9 months beyond that for them to decide...that's the general timeline I was quoted several times) and this current visa has me well and truly covered for that period. 

THANK YOU, NZ immigration person, whoever you were.  I don't know if you have any clue how lovely this was to receive.  Alex and I shall be celebrating tonight for sure. 

In other news of things that are of Fair Isle nature - I've finished the first of my colourwork mitts. 

Looky here at the stranding:

Is it brilliant work?  Maybe not.  But for my second go at Fair Isle ever, it's rather good I think.  I'll show you a proper picture of it a little further out.  hehehehe

Random Acts of Graffitti Kindness

This bit of painterly pick-you-up is in the carpark of the Stoke center where New World grocery store is.  I saw it a few weeks ago and it made me smile, and today while I was running errands I was delighted to remember I had my camera so I could snap a photo to share.

Is it a little cheesey?  Sure.

Does that stop it from feeling genuine?  Not at all.

You are alive and all is yet possible - a motto to live be for sure.  I'm adding it to one of my favourite lines from Metric, 'dream without concession' and keeping my heart happy.

Free Pattern: Simple Fingerless Mitts

As you might be aware, I knit a lot of fingerless gloves.  I love the things. 

They use small amounts of pretty wool for one. 

They knit up fast for two. 

They keep my hands useful in the cold winter mornings for three. 

They protect my palms from cold pints of beer for four. 

I could go on and on, but you get the point. 

This easy pattern has developed from my experience following patterns which usually required downsizing on the thumb for a better fit (I have anorexic thumbs, it's weird).  Additionally, though one of the best things about sock wool is the amazing hand painting artistry done on it, many fingerless glove patterns for sock wool don't let the colouring show through.  For me this pattern makes for a snug thumb and offer a chance for less than 40 grams of indie sock wool beauty to be worn nearly daily.

Download Simple Fingerless Mitts

Materials Needed

50g of your choice 4ply/Fingering/Sock/Baby wool

Pictured: Knitsch 100% Merino Sock, in the sadly discontinued 'Paua' colourway

2.75mm double-pointed needles, set of 4

2 small stitch holders or waste yarn for the thumb stitches

3 stitch markers, one a different colour to distinguish the beginning of each round