HELP! How do you even start fair isle?

#1

Can somebody please tell me how to do fair isle knitting? Every video I watch tells me how to do stitches with it but not how to start it (not how to cast-on, but to get the two yarn colours joined to the knitting). Also, is it similar to the way you do stripes?:!!!:

#2

I am just starting Fair Isle so I am not an expert. after cast on I knit the first color until I come to the point the second color is needed. I knit the second color, either leaving the tail to be woven in later or weaving it in before knitting the first stitch.

This is my method and may not be the official method, it works and I go from there.

#3

Yes, just pick up the second color and start using it. From this point on you’ll be twisting the two colors as you change colors to avoid a hole but for the initial use of the second color, don’t worry about it. You can twist the yarn tail around the first color later when you weave in the tails.

#4

Check out this youtube video.


or this on Knitting About.com
[U][FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][COLOR=#0000ff]http://knitting.about.com/od/knittingskills/ss/fair-isle.htm[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/U]

Just like the previous posters stated, you just cast on as usual (unless otherwise stated) with the first color.

#5

Thanks everyone. What you said makes sense and I’m so grateful for you helping me. I tried something similar to what you said but it turned out messy. I’ll follow your advice!

#6

Here’s another video from the KH site for joining a second color yarn using a slip knot to temporarily secure the yarn. It’s not for Fair Isle but the idea of starting a new color, at the beginning of a row or a few sts into the row is the same.

#7

You don’t have to cut the yarn each time. You can run all your different color yarns up the right side of your work as you progress. You can twist the opposite color around the yarn color of the first stitch to weave this in as you go. You can also just run them up the side and leave the strands long.

I sometimes crochet a border around knitted blankets, and then I’ll hook these threads into the border as I go. If you’re not into crochet, you can knit a border around the fair isle blanket when you’re done. Pick up stitches on each of the two sides and knit, then pick up and knit stitches on the top and bottom edges. A simple garter or seed stitch border will help the stockinette edges from curling. Again, you’ll be able to incorporate those threads on the right side into the border as you pick up stitches.

#8

Thanks a lot for the video! I realise that it’s a lot easier to do fair isle in circular than in straight which is where I was going wrong.

#9

Agreed, circular is a great way to go and usually produces fewer ends to weave in.