Skip to main content

Guest Post - Karen Whooley - Fair Isle Crochet: Demystifying Colorwork


Before I introduce you to my new Craftsy class, I’d like to thank Cascade Yarns for not only allowing me to share with you my class, but for also supporting it by providing me with their wonderful yarns to create two of the 3 projects in this class!  I love Cascade Yarns not only because they are local to me, but also because they are fantastic yarns to design with, and I know that you will love the projects I have for you in this class using Cascade 220® and 220 Superwash® Sport!

In my new Craftsy class, Fair Isle Crochet:Demystifying Colorwork, you will expertly navigate beautiful colorwork as you crochet classic Fair Isle patterns throughout three captivating projects. Join me, published author and professional designer, Karen Whooley, for my online Craftsy class and discover fun new techniques to crochet complex stranded projects with confidence.

In this class you will learn to translate traditional knitted Fair Isle Techniques to crochet in a way that allows the motifs to pop!  I will help you learn to read charts, change colors cleanly and how to handle all the ends that undoubtedly are created in any sort of colorwork. You’ll also learn to work colorwork in the round and I’ll highlight common mistakes and how to fix them! And as a bonus section, you will learn how to create your own charts and modify them for your own projects!

While you are learning all this, you will be working on 3 projects The Poet Shawl, a Fair Isle Trivet, and a Fair Isle hat, complete with pom-pom.

The Poet Shawl is made with Cascade 220®.  I discovered 220 many years ago when learning to felt.  It is my go to yarn whenever I need to felt a crochet project!  But in this project I wanted a warm and cozy yarn that had great stability, lots of colors to choose from and I knew would drape well.  I wanted the very first project in the class to be out of worsted weight yarn so that the new-to-fair-isle crocheter could easily see what (s)he needed to do and where to place the stitches.  I chose some traditional Fair Isle colors in the pinks and greys that I used for this shawl, but you can decide for yourself if those are the colors you want to use! And to make things convenient, Craftsy is offering kits with just the right amounts of yarn for your shawl.

 The Fair Isle Hat is worked with 220 Superwash® Sport yarn.  Again I chose some more traditional Fair Isle colors, but there are so many colors in this line to choose from!  I love this sport yarn because it is so soft, and that is what I want on my head.  But beyond that, choosing a sport weight yarn that is durable and tried and true was important to me.  This project is worked in a thinner yarn purposely so that my students will see the effect of using different weights as well. 220 Superwash Sport® is perfect for a hat because it also will not shrink, and that is important with a hat!  Think about those college students you might make this hat for that just toss everything in the dryer - It won’t shrink! And again, you can get the kit for this project on Craftsy as well.



Thanks for taking the time to get to know me and my class!  I have a gift for you!  Get 50% off my class by clicking this link!

Comments

  1. I'll be signing up for your class this week. I had no idea we're practically neighbors or that Cascade Yarn was a local company. I learn something new everyday! Thanks fo much for offering your class on Craftsy & wish me luck! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'll be signing up for your class this week. I had no idea we're practically neighbors or that Cascade Yarn was a local company. I learn something new everyday! Thanks fo much for offering your class on Craftsy & wish me luck! :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Honeycomb Cable Hat - Greenland

I got the brilliant idea this year to knit a number of people gifts.  I managed to finish 6 projects in the month of December and write out the patterns for most of them.  One of my favorites was this lovely cabled hat knit in Greenland .  Greenland is one of my favorite yarns - it has this amazing springy twists and has fabulous stitch definition.  Sadly, I seem to never get a chance to knit it. The finished hat shown is for an average adult - finished (unstretched) measurement is 7" wide and 8" long from the cast on edge.  I cast on 88 stitches.  It can easily be adapted to be smaller (cast on 80 stitches) or larger (cast on 96 stitches). Materials: (1), 1, (2) ball Greenland (100% Superwash Merino Wool - 137 yds/100 g) - shown in color 3549 US 7 - 16" circular needles US 9 - 16" circular needles Cable needle (or spare DPN) Stitch Marker Abbrevations K - Knit P - Purl cn - cable needle Sl - slip 4-st RC - Sl 2 sts to cn and hold to back

Year of Giving - February - Cherub Chunky Wave - Introspection

For February, I made a quick hat out of Cherub Chunky Wave - a new color effect for Cherub Chunky with a gradation wave. Cherub Chunky Wave is a nylon-acrylic blend that is easy care - machine wash and dry making it perfect for charity knitting and gift giving. We will be giving away 3 kits (2 skeins of Cherub Chunky Wave in each) - 2 through the Cascade Yarns Facebook page  and 1 through the Blog. To enter on the Blog, please comment with the last person/organization you gave a handmade item to. The winner will be drawn at 3 pm PST on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. Materials 1 skein Cherub Chunky Wave (55% Nylon/45% Acrylic - 137 yds/100 g) US 8 16" Circular Needles US 10 16" Circular Needles US 10 DPNs (Double Pointed Needles) Stitch Marker Yarn Needle Abbreviations K - Knit P - Purl K2tog - Knit 2 Together Sts - Stitches Gauge Approx 4 sts = 1" in Stockinette (unstretched) With US 8 circular needle, Cast On 63 , 72, 81 sts (Child, Adult

Free Yarn Giveaway: Streak of Lightning Log Cabin throw!

Beth Whiteside designed the cover blanket - Streak of Lightning in All Season Throws - a special interest issue from Creative Knitting .  The blocks - Sunshine & Shadow are built with dark colors on one side and light on the other.   This modern take on a Log Cabin is knit in 220 Superwash - which works well for today's busy lifestyles. Cascade Yarns is giving away the yarn and the pattern to make this fabulous throw!  All you have to do is comment with your favorite project you have in Cascade Yarns.  The comment must be posted between 9 am EST August 20, 2013 and 9 am EST August 21, 2013.  This winner will be anounced later this week on the blog and Facebook and Twitter . The prize will include a Cascade Yarns zipper bag and the following colors of 220 Superwash: 6 balls 825 - Orange 6 balls 822 - Pumpkin 6 balls 841 - Moss 6 balls 810 - Teal 3 balls 821 - Daffodil