I loved this pattern from the moment I saw it in Anna Wilkinson's great book - I think it is mainly down to the bright colours that I simply couldn't resist. After some hunting and gathering, including a trip to Latvia and some gift-skeins that my mom brought back from Estonia last summer, I finally had the palette of colours that I needed.
I cast on the required number of stitches both for the front AND the back to knit in the round and make it an cardigan instead of a vest. It's not "real" fair-isle, at least according to my definition, but it's good practice for the next project which I'm planning to base on Mary-Jane Mucklestone's "200 Fair-Isle Motifs" collection of Shetland patterns.
In terms of construction I opted for a steek with knitted-on button band as well as steeked armholes (a first time for me). The idea was to knit as much as possible in the round to avoid doing the annoying purl-side colourwork, including the sleeves. I used a different technique for my last fair-isle cardigan where I knitted in the round to the beginning of the arm holes and then separated the front and back to knit them separately and flat. This has the advantage that you can shape the armholes more nicely and it is easier to fit the sleeve caps, but i also means that the sleeves then have to be knitted flat and that's what I want to avoid.
So far, so good. The bodice has been done for about 2 months now but I haven't plucked up the courage to get started with the sleeves, partly because I worked on my Petit Poisson Rouge in the meantime and I was a bit fed up with the thin yarn and tiny stitches. Also, I'm running out of the light grey yarn so I have to think of another option for the sleeves and button band. I made one attempt at continuing in the fair-isle pattern over the sleeves but that was a disaster so I think I will opt for a single colour on the sleeves - maybe dark blue?
While my musings continue, I'm also working on a Miette (a cardigan this time, not the skirt - this seems to be a popular name for patterns) and a hat. New pictures here soon!
So far, so good. The bodice has been done for about 2 months now but I haven't plucked up the courage to get started with the sleeves, partly because I worked on my Petit Poisson Rouge in the meantime and I was a bit fed up with the thin yarn and tiny stitches. Also, I'm running out of the light grey yarn so I have to think of another option for the sleeves and button band. I made one attempt at continuing in the fair-isle pattern over the sleeves but that was a disaster so I think I will opt for a single colour on the sleeves - maybe dark blue?
While my musings continue, I'm also working on a Miette (a cardigan this time, not the skirt - this seems to be a popular name for patterns) and a hat. New pictures here soon!
P.S: I think homemade rasperry-sorbet-pink is now my favourite summer colour.
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