Whit's Knits: Little Fair Isle Hat
Before learning how to knit, I loved and admired Fair Isle knitting but always assumed that it was reserved for an elite few gold medal knitters, the kind who apprenticed on their grandmothers' knees before they could even walk. Now, of course, I know that I should never have been so intimidated!
What looks so intricate is actually just a matter of knitting first with one color and then with a second, switching between the two as the pattern slowly emerges and blossoms into a fascinating and surprising design. Fair Isle is really one of the most fun things you can do in knitting!
If you've never done it, this Little Fair Isle Hat is a great place to start, small and manageable. And if you're a veteran of the craft, then you'll appreciate the speed of this sweet knit. Either way, some baby, toddler or child somewhere is going to be sporting a very pretty hat... made by you!
It's true that an intrinsic economic difficulty of Fair Isle knitting is the necessity for small amounts of many colors. I was so happy to sidestep this problem with Koigu's little 11 yard skeins of KPM Needlepoint Yarn. They're wonderfully soft, beautiful and affordable. And with over 150 hand dyed colors to choose from, the fancy knitting may end up being the easiest part!
To get started on your own Little Fair Isle Hat, just visit our Project Journal right here! Thanks! - Whitney
P.S. We also have a pattern for the adorable sweater! Just visit our Easy Baby Pullover project journal right here!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012 | Email Share Print | Babies, Hats, Knitting, Koigu Yarn, Whit's Knits | 18 Comments
Reader Comments (18)
We will be posting the pattern for this sweater later this month so stay tuned. Thanks so much for your comment!
- Molly
jen
Most hats do tend to grow a little bit. Ribbings (including brioche) are usually good for wear, but in addition to the stitch, the yarn you use can really effect the resilience of your project. Cashmere, for instance, has a tendency to stretch a lot (plant fibers too), while wool (including merino) tends to snap back into place a bit better. The spin of the yarn can also effect your hat's staying power; a tight spin (like this Koigu) helps a little to keep the hat's shape intact. But, in general, you should expect handknit hats (and lots of machine knit ones too!) to stretch a bit, and knit them a few inches smaller than the wearer's head!
Thanks for the question!
Whitney
I love your blog and just finished the Chevron Baby Blanket! I was looking forward to doing this pattern, but I have a hard time finding the yarns your use for your projects. For example, I tried to buy the yarn for the blanket on PurlSoho.com, but they were out. So I had to buy it from another site. For this pattern I went to a store, only to be informed that Koigu is pretty hard to get from the manufacturer and there was some confusion as to what the needlepoint yarn was. I am looking on PurlSoho.com website again and they either seem to be out or I can't find these colors. Do you have any suggestions? It's hard to choose different colors online and visualize what it will look like having not seen them in person! Any help would be appreciated!
Megan
Unfortunately sometimes when a project is popular we sell out of the materials too quickly. It is something we are always trying to improve on and we're so sorry to hear this has happened to you twice!
We are always happy to email you when the supplies come back in stock. Just drop us a line at customerservice AT purlsoho DOT com.
We are out of stock of the Koigu needlepoint colors featured here at the moment. If you don't have time to wait for them to come back in stock you might consider doing it in a different palate. You will need 5 related colors, going from dark to light. Here are some suggestions:
In pinks: 2235, 1165, 2127, 1162, 1122
In red/ orange: 1100, 1115, 1113, 2220, 1263
In blues: 1030, 2410, 2170, 2174, 2416
In grey/ purples: 2425, 2236, 2501, 3016, 2423
Hope this helps. Thank you for your question.
Molly