Designing Fair Isle and Stranded Knitting Projects
Instructor: Jeanne Davidson
Jeanne is a knitter, weaver and spinner whose passion is patterns and the interactions of different colors! She started designing Fair Isle sweaters and other projects almost 25 years ago and has taught both “how to do it” and design classes for Tempe Yarn and Fiber in Tempe, AZ, and at the North Country Fiber Fair in South Dakota. She has also taken inspiration from her weaving projects and incorporated the results into knitting patterns. Inspiration is everywhere!
Class Description:
In this workshop we’ll explore the basics of designing Fair Isle and stranded knitting projects. Stranded knitting can be incorporated into existing patterns or you can design your own patterns and motifs to fit a desired project. Students will spend time creating or modifying patterns using variations in color choices or motif adjustments. We’ll discuss how gauge and yarn types impact the process, how to center the pattern motifs and how to ensure a good fit between the pattern motifs and the project.
Skills participants will learn:
- How to incorporate stranded knitting motifs into non-stranded knitting patterns
- How to adjust the colors in existing designs
- How to create your own stranded knitting designs
Students should bring:
- Basic experience/familiarity with stranded knitting
- Curiosity and desire to explore stranded knitting design elements
- Colored pencils, if available
- Questions, questions, questions!
Instructor will provide:
- Initial pattern ideas and swatches
- Graph paper for designing/modifying ideas
- Colored pencils
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