Fair isle?

How-to Questions
1

I’ve been trying to fair isle knit, but I just can’t do it.

These are the problems:

  • I don’t know how to keep the yarn in the back side when the back side is facing me.

  • If I’m going to use a color I haven’t used at least since the last row, what am I supposed to do?

I’m new, by the way.

.

2

Did you watch the [I]‘How to knit with 2 colors at a time’[/I] vid in the Advanced Techniques section? Perhaps some insight.

Lots of helpful info here. Scroll down to the ‘Technique Posts’ section.

cam

3

the videos here are always awesome, but i also found the video at philosopher’s wool amazingly helpful. http://www.philosopherswool.com/Pages/Twohandedvideo.htm it used to only work in IE, but it’s working for me in firefox now too.

4

Did you watch the ‘How to knit with 2 colors at a time’ vid in the Advanced Techniques section?

yes, I did…

.

5

i just re-read your question and realized that the video i linked you to might not address those things… i’m not sure i understand the first part of your question, though, the keeping yarn in the back when you’re on the back side… does the fair isle not occur on the back? if so, you’d have to be purling, which means the yarn is in the back when you’re working and it should stay there…

as for using a color you haven’t used, you have a couple of options. you can “carry” it up the rows along the edges , so that way it is available at the beginning of the row you need it on or you can keep it active throughout by stranding it, which is shown in the videos.

6

Ok. I’ll make my question simpler (I’m kind of confused):

  • How to keep stranding [B]always[/B] in the back side?
7

And, am I supposed to use certain type of stitch per row when fair isle knitting?

.

8
  • How to keep stranding always in the back side?

The stranding is always done on the WS so when you’re working the RS it’s on the WS (the side facing away from you). When you turn the work, the stranding is still on the WS but now facing you. You continue to strand (and twisting the yarns at color chgs) just as you were before but on the side you’re now looking at.

And, am I supposed to use certain type of stitch per row when fair isle knitting?

As you saw in the vids, etc stockinette is used for FI. (K on RS, P on WS.)

HTH,
cam

9

How to keep stranding always in the back side? And, am I supposed to use certain type of stitch per row when fair isle knitting?

The RS (public side) you knit stitch - the WS (with all the floats) you purl stitch.

When doing the float side have all your yarns dropping in front of the work (where you had them dropping behind the work when doing the public side).

Here is a vid which might you help see what you need to do with fair isle.