Knitters' Knook

nice looking forward to seeing the finished product.

Ah, Mel, we wouldn't laugh at your project! It looks intriguing. I've never done a Fair Isle...or a Fake Isle. I think this may be my first attempt!

Thanks for posting your pattern.

I think if you haven't done Fair Isle before, fake-isle is the way to go. Using at least one variegated yarn with a solid color creates the illusion of multiple color switches. And a hat is fast! (that's what I keep telling myself, at any rate )

I have a question about this group...is anyone who joins going to be able to contribute and add post? Or is a forum going to be started? Thanks

Anyone who joins is able to contribute AND add a post or photographs. Don't know anything about a forum, but perhaps that's a possibility later. Feel free to share!

Just a heads up, no one can make post or add photos if they are not appointed moderator. So if you want everyone to contribute, then you will have to appoint each one who joins to moderator.

Hmmm. Melissa posted her Fake Isle Hat pattern here without any problem. I'll see what I can find out. Thanks for letting me know there was a problem for you!

I pretty much just responded to Star's message. Don't know what else I did, but it's there.

Sorry Star, I must have been spacing when I wrote that. I was thinking of other things.

Good, Angel! Now...post some of your best patterns so we knitters can enjoy!

I can't find the Fake Isle pattern at that link. Is it a really old link?
Thanks!

Yeah, actually it is. The ezine MagKnits went down last year some time. Check this:

http://www.spunkyeclectic.com/pattern_fakeisle.htm

That one goes to the designer's site, Spunky Eclectic.

Good Luck!

Thanks! I've actually done this before using my own hand dyed yarn. You knit up a "blank" (machine knit - I cannot imagine hand knitting in order to frog and knit again! Then you dye it, stripes, rainbow, etc. Then after it is washed and dried, you knit it with a contrast color (usually black, but I've used blue, and white before too) in a fair Isle pattern to make a very interesting look! It was written up in Spinners Magazine a while back. The woman had some fascinating scarves out of it too. I'll try to find the link, I think I saved it.
http://www.machineknittingtodyefor.com/
Here is a better pic of the technique
http://www.machineknittingtodyefor.com/images/KnitwordsCoveralhambravest.jpg Or try this if that one doesn't work http://tinyurl.com/8d592j
I did! Thanks again!

Good god, that sounds like a lot of work, even machine knit--though I confess, I don't know much about machine knitting. I'm far too lazy.

Beautiful finished objects, though!

That DOES sound like a lot of work! I'm surely curious about the dyeing process, though. I'd like to see that done.

There's a shop not too far from here called "Unraveled Sheep" that teaches spinning and weaving. I don't recall seeing knitting machines, but I could be mistaken. Hmmmm...sounds like I need to make another trip to the shop, doesn't it?

Yes, it sure does sound like you need to make another trip to the shop!
I love spinning. It is very calming and rhythmic, even moreso than knitting, IMO. to give you an idea, you can knit up a huge rectangle on the Knitting machine (Plain, not fancy patterning) in about 20 minutes, certainly no more than an hour. If you have a motor on yours, all you have to do is turn it on and set the # of rows & width, and sit there and watch it. All you have to do is check for kinks in the yarn. With this, you knit up blanks in the approximate size of your finished garment pieces, then hand dye it in rows, wash, and knit it as you unravel it.
Donna