Welcome back! Before I get into the ‘no more yarn tangles’ topic for today, check out my knitted swatch using Uni Merino and Uni Merino Mini yarn and KNITTER’S PRIDE Cubic double pointed needles.
The back side of the Fair Isle work
I absolutely love Fair Isle knitting. That’s the number one reason I chose the West Wind Hat pattern to knit this week. Fair Isle knitting looks like magic to me. Even after all these years of knitting, I still am amazed every single time I see it in a garment.
The West Wind Hat is perfect for cool weather and the colorwork is exciting to knit.
Fair Isle knitting does come with its challenges though. One of those challenges is the constant tangling of the yarns in your work. In the past, I’d knit until the yarns were so tangled up that I didn’t have a choice but to put my work down and weave the two balls of yarn over and under until I got everything untangled. Not ideal when you’re on a knitting roll!
As I read through the West Wind Hat pattern I discovered that the colorwork consisted of only two colors in each round. This is ideal for my favorite technique for colorwork, two-handed Fair Isle knitting.
Two-handed Fair Isle has you carry one yarn in each hand. You place each ball of yarn on either side of you; contrast color on the left and main color on the right. You’re knitting continental style with your left hand and English style with your right. You’ll never have to let go of your yarns nor will the yarns cross over one another so there won’t be any tangling! There are numerous tutorials available online that teach two-handed Fair Isle knitting technique.
I’ve added a fifth color to this project! Hello Peachskin!
Not having to deal with the tangles while I knit allowed me to enjoy knitting with Uni Merino and Uni Merino Mini yarn and focus on some new tools! I am for the first time in my knitting life not using regular round-shaped needles! I’m testing out Knitter’s Pride Cubics for this project. Check in tomorrow to learn if I’ll be adding these needles to my collection!
Universal Yarn Uni Merino and Uni Merino Mini previously known as Curio.
