How to go about learning for this fair isle scarf?

#1

Hi all,

First of all thanks so much for reading, any help would be much appreciated. I’m new to the forum and have a few questions to help get me started with this. I’ve been basic knitting for at least 8 or 9 years, but like I said it’s never really gone past basic.
However, I really REALLY have an urge to learn everything because I found a scarf I am DYING to make. I get very determined and will do anything it takes to learn something like this, I just need to figure out how.
This is the scarf, it’s Hermione’s fair isle scarf from the half blood prince:

since I’m a huge HP fan, this is something I will work hard for until I figure it out but my questions are: HOW hard will it be to learn to knit fair isle going from my basic skills?

what is the best way to learn this? I’ve read online, tried to teach myself but I don’t respond very well to written directions, it really helps if it’s visual. As I’ve read, I’ve started feeling as if knitting fair isle is a complete other world, and it’s going to be very confusing and pointless trying to learn it but I’m still determined.

No matter what, I can’t help the feeling that it’s gonna take me forever to learn this technique, and I was wondering what your thoughts were on my situation.

Thanks again for any help you can offer, and giving me your advice! :stuck_out_tongue:

#2

http://www.philosopherswool.com/Pages/Twohandedvideo.htm
I found this video to be the best aid in learning fair isle.

#3

Thank you, this really helped, I’m still confused on a couple of things though and one is: on the scarf I’m attempting to make in the first link, her stitches look like purls, and so do the stitches in the video in your link. But the woman in the video says you do not have to purl.

Sorry if this sounds confusing, but to get the stitches in the Hermione scarf, what stitches will I need to do using the circular needles?

#4

If you’re knitting in the round and doing stockinette you don’t need to purl. There are no purls in the scarf or the sample at the tutorial. The scarf and the sample are knitted on the outside of the tube. I’m not sure what you’re seeing as purls… You will only be knitting if you’re knitting the scarf as a tube, in the round.

Are you talking about the way she’s knitting? She’s showing you how to carry the yarn across longer spans so you don’t have long floats…is that what you’re seeing?

#5

I think I’m just confused all around as you can probably tell. So, since I’m teaching fair isle to myself I’m just gonna state the process I know and ask if it’s right.

The first thing I’ll do is use a pattern which I have, and each block is one stitch? Then I’ll make a certain number of stitches when I cast on and proceed to do every block according to what color the pattern tells me to? Until I reach back around to the starting point, then I’ll go up and do the next line the same way?

I just needed to see if that was right based on what I’ve picked up today, I’m trying to get this so thanks for bearing with me if I still don’t seem to get it, and thanks for taking your time with me.
If I got that part right, I’m still confused on the changing of colors, I know how they go along the back of the work and how it should look, I just don’t know how to start them in to the work as they are needed.

There isn’t anymore purl confusion, though, thanks for clearing that up.:wink:

#6

Correct, each block is one stitch and you do them according to color. If you change colors you’ll need to make note or redo the chart to reflect those new colors.

You start a new color by just knitting with it. There will be a gap there, but you can weave the end in after a few rows to close it. After that you loosely carry the colors up the side. I twist them once to keep them tighter, but you may or may not need to do that. It depends on how far you’re carrying them and since it’s a tube it won’t show.

Oh and circular knitting is a spiral so you won’t need to do anything to start the next row. You might want to put a marker though so you know where it begins and ends. I put the marker between the second to last stitch and the last one. That way you’ve always knit past it at the end of a round and it won’t fall off.

#7

THANK YOU so much! you helped me greatly! I was completely confused this morning and now I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of it in just one day. Now to practice and practice before I actually start the project to make sure I can do everything first, but thanks for your time!

#8

You’re welcome. It takes practice to learn not to pull the floats on the back too tight. I’m still not that great at it. You can do it!:thumbsup: