Fair Isle Rapids (3)

Yes, I did finish the Fair Isle Rapids scarf that I started before Christmas, though it did sit unworked in the corner for a while when the 'flu chased my concentration away.  I loved this project, even though it took me a couple of goes to get the hang of the stranding, and as soon as I got used to the pattern, it worked up very quickly.

Here's the finished scarf being blocked:

This is where you really see how clever the pattern is; it does look like a river and its rapids, and I'm still in awe of its designer, Kieran Foley.

Some quality checking:

Here's the finished scarf, all ready to go to its new home:

And then I made another one!

Just looking

Wherever I go, I try to keep my eyes open for little details that may spark some inspiration when I start creating something new.

Sometimes, it's an unusual or unexpected colour scheme:

 

Sometimes, it's a pattern:

 

Sometimes, it's a fragrance or a flavour:

More often than not, however, it's heart-stopping, breath-taking, luminous natural beauty.

Checking in

I haven't written on the blog for a long time, and if you're still patiently waiting for a craft update from the wilds of the west, I promise to deliver very soon.  Whilst I may have been quiet, I haven't been idle.  I've been spinning with intent, determined to try as many different fibre types as possible, and have been challenging myself with complicated, fiddly and - at times - frustrating knitting, all in the name of progress.  80 projects completed in a year?  I think I'm getting there. 

So this is just a quick hello; a tentative peek above the parapet to see whether there really is anyone still out there. 

Talybont Show

I've been meaning to blog about this for a while, but I've been rather preoccupied with other things - and now, nearly two months have passed since this photo was taken.  Anyway, this is me, spinning in an increasingly muddy field at Talybont show.  I was there to represent the Ceredigion Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, and I was a bit nervous about spinning in public as I'd only been doing it for two months at this point.  I needn't have worried though; I seemed to have a near-constant audience all day, everyone interested in the process of spinning and how a sliver could become a length of yarn so easily.  Surprisingly (for me), the best part was talking to the children that stopped by, because they were asking really interesting, probing questions; I let every one of them have a go, and if I've inspired just one of them to think about wool in a different way, then my job is done.

The hardest part though was spinning in my shoes.  I'm one of those people that likes to spin barefoot because I can really feel the treadles moving beneath my feet.  Having shoes on obstructs that process, and made me feel totally disconnected from the spinning, and that showed in the yarn that I produced.  It's a salutory lesson.  Your gut instinct never lies.

Fair Isle Rapids (2)

Fair Isle Rapids: 2.5 pattern repeats

Fair Isle Rapids: stranding on the back

Chart work

Being a novice chart reader, there are two things that I've just discovered:

Chart markers: fripperiesnbibelots

1. Using a chart makes knitting so much easier!  Once you've got the symbols sorted in your head, you really do fly along each pattern line.  Yes, you'll be knitting slower to begin with, but all of a sudden, it becomes second nature.  I've been very hesitant about following charts, but all the things I want to make require this skill, so it was time to be brave.  Start with something fairly simple, and within no time, you'll wonder why you were fearful.
2. Pattern safes / chart readers are a must!  The more complicated the pattern, the more likely it is that you'll lose your place, or inadvertently repeat the wrong line.  I've been struggling to keep my place by balancing a piece of paper under each relevant line, but that's fiddly, particularly when you're also working with multiple balls of yarn, or, like me, enjoy knitting in the car.  I've been told that Post-Its work quite well, but their stickiness diminishes rapidly if you're placing and re-placing the square every few minutes.  The answer is quite simple: pattern safes / chart readers.  In essence, they're like bookmarks, held in place by a couple of magnets - and these ones, by Fripperies & Bibelots, are just perfect.

Fair Isle Rapids

Fair Isle Rapids
Originally uploaded by knitlab

This is my latest project (the photo, the scarf and the design all belong to Kieran Foley, whose work I've admired for a long time). I downloaded the pattern and bought the yarn over a year ago, but didn't feel that confident about starting the work as it required the use of a few skills that I didn't yet have - stranding, M1R / M1L and working from a chart being just three.

One year down the line and I knew the time had come to just dive in (if you'll pardon the pun). Fortunately, I made a test swatch - something I'm normally loathe to do - and I messed it up completely as the yarns became twisted and very messy at the back. So I ripped it all out, kept the blue yarn on my right, the biscuit on my left, used English style knitting on my right, Continental style on my left, and it's all coming along a treat! The undulation is developing beautifully, and the back is now mercifully tidy; three pattern repeats now done, only 17 to go.

I'm so glad that I decided to start this, as stranding and Fair Isle are two techniques that I really want to employ in my work. It's no secret that I've long been a fan of Kaffe Fassett, and if I'm ever going to be able to produce work as colourful as his, then both techniques are going to be essential.

I'll take some photos of my progress this afternoon, and put them up on Ravelry. And I think I'm going to start dreaming of the other colourways that I can use to make this scarf; a graduated one in purples and blues would be lovely, with a dark grey background/border: mmmmm!