I could listen to Ella's voice all day! The tips for tieing of the ends and weaving in asking the edges are awesome, there's something so satisfying about perfect tidy swatches!
Thank you Ella...your little video is so clear and really helpful. I have been trying to work out how to swatch in the round and now I have found an easy and achievable way....🙂
Thanks for this video - I tried doing swatches with the yarn stranded across the back - hopelessly messy and I couldn't see my floats. Tried also doing swatches with the yarn held in a "bubble" so that I only had ends on one side - kind of a pain to do that and you run out of yarn. I think I will try this method of breaking the yarn at every row - the yarn is sticky enough to not fall apart, more convenient, and it's a small investment of yarn to ensure the colours work out. I do find that knitting the first and last stitches through the back loop with both colours helps anchor and secure the yarns.
Adorable and spunky. Good presentation. Thank you for the time. I am such a very slow knitter that I see the swatch as hours gone. But, you have changed my mind. I simply have not made a sweater for fear that it will be horribly ill fitting. I will correct this in the future and make something for my daughter.
I love Fairisle. My gran taught me many years ago. Until I retired, knitting was put on the back burner but of course you never forget. I am a member of our local knit and natter group and love it. We are a lovely group but I am the only Fairisle knitter in the group sadly but one of my friends in the group, with just a little help from me, has just finished her first yoke sweater. She is so pleased with it and I don’t think it will be her last. I have to say that despite being able to knit Fairisle, I have not yet mastered the incredible skill needed to combine colours successfully. Swatching is probably the best method of testing like you did… dark to light or light to dark. Your work is beautiful. XAngela
Thanks Ella, it's helpful to see the way you do it. I had heard previously of people carrying the yarn across the back so they could knit across the front in the same direction again, but I always find the long floats at the back annoying. I had wondered why not just break the yarn as it's so sticky it shouldn't unravel, so it was great to see that this is a way that other people like yourself do use!
Great video, very good tips. I like the idea of breaking the yarn, much easier than knitting a small swatch in the round. Anything from Shetland and I’m all in, my father grew up on Unst and my maiden name happens to be Jamieson. Thanks so much Ella.
I love this method. It allowed me a color change by ripping back to the offending color, substitute a new one, then carry on with the yarn that is already cut. Thank you
Thank you for this, I like the idea of breaking off the yarn each row as apposed to leaving a big loop of yarn at the back each time, as long as I have enough yarn to then make the project after. I have a kep kit, so I know the colours will be perfect, but I do need to check my guage for accuracy.
This was really interesting. A clever way of mimicking knitting in the round instead of carrying a long float across the back. The swatches are so cute! You have a very clear and engaging way of explaining things. I’d love to be able to carry both strands in one hand. I have to drop and pick up again and I have never mastered continental style either! 😬
I taught myself to carry wool in both hands, English in the right, continental in the left because constantly swapping wool was driving me nuts and made weaving so cumbersome. Itwas not easy after knitting “normally” for 50 years! I now can do it with knit stitch but struggle with Pearl. I have an jacket to knit and although it is knitted in the round it has a garter stitch border which must be fairisled in Pearl. I am using the Portuguese technique which tensions the wool at the front of the knitting and makes it so much easier, It might be worth a try for you.
When I began knitting fair isle I could already knit English and Continental (although my Continental was nowhere near as quick as my English) and I had no trouble at all transferring both skills to Fair Isle - I found knitting fair isle no more tricky than continental! It might just be me who didn't find that tricky lol, but if you are like me, you only really have to learn one skill! Apart from making sure your floats aren't too tight or loose lol
I love this! Thanks to Erika Eccles I found this video just as I am about to start on Ella's delicious Roosty Tank. Actually, I am adapting the shape to be a v neck for my BIL LOVE LOVE LOVE Ella's original colourway. I'll be much more confident with swatching as I really want this to be a good fit.
Thank you so much for making this film, it was really helpful. While I knew about knitting each row from the front right side and breaking the yarn but hadn't been told about knotting the tails off. Definitely will be using this technique late today.
I don’t break my yarn when swatching- I just carry it in the back over to the start of the round & then when the swatch is done u can always frog it & use it in the project. However, if u want to block the swatch this wouldn’t work 😊
I love your method! Definitely going to try it next time. I tend to carry the yarn across the back but this way is much neater. I also got a little thrill when you held up the swatch for the Moorie cardigan that I recently completed. Love your work Ella. ❤️
I love this video so much, thank you Ella! I love Shetland and Shetlander so much (remind me Sicily, my origin’s land), I love knitting so much, and if isn’t for cold weather (is it really as it looks?) I could think of planning my retiring there :)
An idea for those who find swatching is wasted yarn. The ends could be sew in. Use the swatch as a coaster under their cup of tea or join in the round as a cup warmer. A frozen water bottle in the summer. Or join all the swatches together and make into a cushion cover/throw. One day will visit, but a long way from South Australia.
Two questions, Ella Do you ever make your 'in the round' swatches actually in the round with a steek? it uses less wool for sure. And how common is it among handknitters in Shetland to work the yarn from the centre of the ball? I have't seen anyone work that way on the videos and films for SWW21, but it saves the ball running round the floor (with a young kitten, that is a temptation too far!).
Hello, no I don’t do that, with the extra stitches I can’t see how it would use any less wool, and I can’t speak for other Shetlanders but I always work from the outside of the ball.
That's a lot of wasted yarn. I really want to learn FI, but yarn is expensive, especially if you have to waste it, like that. Thanks, though, for your very interesting and easy to follow lesson. Is that star pattern available to download to play with?
I don’t find it wasteful - less wasteful than making a whole thing in unsuccessful colours for me! The finished samples can be smaller than I show here, even just a repeat. The finished sample usually weighs just a few grams. You can find my patterns on ravelry or payhip. 😊
One more thought: instead of tying all those knots and weaving in, since it's wool, wouldn't it be easier to just felt the ends together? As you can see, I'm new to wool.
Ella, please if you make more videos, try not to let what you are saying drop into an indistinct muttering. Some important details were hard to hear. Very interesting to see you swatching! Thanks.
This method is very slow and wasteful of the yarn in comparison to the following. I find it far quicker and less wasteful to do two or three samples at once enough to work well on a circular needle, then there is no stop start, you complete more samples more quickly where you can play with colour options for the same design or different design options. You can add a small steek between patterns if you wish or a purl seam to separate the design areas.
For me to cast on enough stitches to make it fit on a circular needle would use a lot more wool. I don’t find it slow and I also don’t claim this is the only way to do it, it’s a lot of work to organise these kinds of videos and comments like this do make me wonder why we bother!
@@egordo46 Ella - I have loved watching all of the videos this week. All of the videos have been clear, helpful and informative. Not just the knitting but the history as well. I started fair isle knitting just over two years ago - and love it - and have quite a few fair isle knitting books - and the collection is growing. It is so good seeing the experts in action - and to be able to learn from you all. So thank you for the videos. HB.
Ella it is for people like me that you do the videos. Ones that really appreciate what you do. You give great advice to those of us who are not experienced in this type of knitting. Ignore the others!
@@egordo46 I think you explained your reasoning for this type of swatch very well. Thank you so much for the video. I have watched it twice now, once while waiting for my wool to arrive, and again to help me as I made my first swatch. Thank you for starting me off on what so far has been a very enjoyable project.
@@egordo46 nearly all of the people commenting here are positive as am I , your videos are great informative and clear and you have a nice manner. You will always get some people that are sour, just ignore and delete. Remember, you would not recognise these people if they passed you in the street, they are just not worth a second thought.
![10 viral knitting techniques [you've never seen before!]](/img/n.gif)
I could listen to Ella's voice all day! The tips for tieing of the ends and weaving in asking the edges are awesome, there's something so satisfying about perfect tidy swatches!
Thank you Ella...your little video is so clear and really helpful. I have been trying to work out how to swatch in the round and now I have found an easy and achievable way....🙂
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for this video - I tried doing swatches with the yarn stranded across the back - hopelessly messy and I couldn't see my floats. Tried also doing swatches with the yarn held in a "bubble" so that I only had ends on one side - kind of a pain to do that and you run out of yarn. I think I will try this method of breaking the yarn at every row - the yarn is sticky enough to not fall apart, more convenient, and it's a small investment of yarn to ensure the colours work out. I do find that knitting the first and last stitches through the back loop with both colours helps anchor and secure the yarns.
Adorable and spunky.
Good presentation. Thank you for the time. I am such a very slow knitter that I see the swatch as hours gone. But, you have changed my mind. I simply have not made a sweater for fear that it will be horribly ill fitting. I will correct this in the future and make something for my daughter.
Just wanted to thank you for your time in making this video. It’s great to see how you swatch and a little peek into your design world.
I love Fairisle. My gran taught me many years ago. Until I retired, knitting was put on the back burner but of course you never forget. I am a member of our local knit and natter group and love it. We are a lovely group but I am the only Fairisle knitter in the group sadly but one of my friends in the group, with just a little help from me, has just finished her first yoke sweater. She is so pleased with it and I don’t think it will be her last. I have to say that despite being able to knit Fairisle, I have not yet mastered the incredible skill needed to combine colours successfully. Swatching is probably the best method of testing like you did… dark to light or light to dark. Your work is beautiful. XAngela
Thanks Ella, it's helpful to see the way you do it. I had heard previously of people carrying the yarn across the back so they could knit across the front in the same direction again, but I always find the long floats at the back annoying. I had wondered why not just break the yarn as it's so sticky it shouldn't unravel, so it was great to see that this is a way that other people like yourself do use!
Great video, very good tips. I like the idea of breaking the yarn, much easier than knitting a small swatch in the round. Anything from Shetland and I’m all in, my father grew up on Unst and my maiden name happens to be Jamieson. Thanks so much Ella.
I love this method. It allowed me a color change by ripping back to the offending color, substitute a new one, then carry on with the yarn that is already cut. Thank you
Thank you for this, I like the idea of breaking off the yarn each row as apposed to leaving a big loop of yarn at the back each time, as long as I have enough yarn to then make the project after. I have a kep kit, so I know the colours will be perfect, but I do need to check my guage for accuracy.
This was really interesting. A clever way of mimicking knitting in the round instead of carrying a long float across the back. The swatches are so cute!
You have a very clear and engaging way of explaining things. I’d love to be able to carry both strands in one hand. I have to drop and pick up again and I have never mastered continental style either! 😬
I taught myself to carry wool in both hands, English in the right, continental in the left because constantly swapping wool was driving me nuts and made weaving so cumbersome. Itwas not easy after knitting “normally” for 50 years! I now can do it with knit stitch but struggle with Pearl. I have an jacket to knit and although it is knitted in the round it has a garter stitch border which must be fairisled in Pearl. I am using the Portuguese technique which tensions the wool at the front of the knitting and makes it so much easier,
It might be worth a try for you.
When I began knitting fair isle I could already knit English and Continental (although my Continental was nowhere near as quick as my English) and I had no trouble at all transferring both skills to Fair Isle - I found knitting fair isle no more tricky than continental! It might just be me who didn't find that tricky lol, but if you are like me, you only really have to learn one skill! Apart from making sure your floats aren't too tight or loose lol
I love this! Thanks to Erika Eccles I found this video just as I am about to start on Ella's delicious Roosty Tank. Actually, I am adapting the shape to be a v neck for my BIL LOVE LOVE LOVE Ella's original colourway. I'll be much more confident with swatching as I really want this to be a good fit.
This seems perfect for fairisle as I don’t often play yarn chicken! And theres enough for a cheeky unravel to finish a few stitches. Thanks Ella!
Thank you so much for making this film, it was really helpful. While I knew about knitting each row from the front right side and breaking the yarn but hadn't been told about knotting the tails off. Definitely will be using this technique late today.
Thank you Ella. Very interesting to see how you knit a swatch, and to hear your ideas.
Thank you Ella. I certainly will try this swatching method on my next project.
Thank you for this fun, clearly explained video! I am learning so much more about Fair Isle knitting, and about working with colors in general!
Thank you, I do swatch, but didn’t know how to swatch Fair Isle in the round. And use a photo... ! I like that idea.
Thank you so much for the wonderful info on swatching for Fair Isle. It also looks like a great way for someone to begin to learn the technique, too.
Excellent. Really interesting. Thank you.
Good job , I'm more ready now to some swatches. Thank you so much..
I don’t break my yarn when swatching- I just carry it in the back over to the start of the round & then when the swatch is done u can always frog it & use it in the project. However, if u want to block the swatch this wouldn’t work 😊
I love your method! Definitely going to try it next time. I tend to carry the yarn across the back but this way is much neater. I also got a little thrill when you held up the swatch for the Moorie cardigan that I recently completed. Love your work Ella. ❤️
I really enjoy these videos. I'm always learning something new. Thank you!
Perfect swatching ❤
Informative, intertesting and delightful listening to you, Ella. Thank you!
I love this video so much, thank you Ella! I love Shetland and Shetlander so much (remind me Sicily, my origin’s land), I love knitting so much, and if isn’t for cold weather (is it really as it looks?) I could think of planning my retiring there :)
Love this channel. Thank you!
Not got to the stage of designing my own - but I had thought I'd try. Will use the swatch method. Thank you.
Thank you, Ella. I learned a lot.
Excellent!!! Thank you sooooooooooo much!
An idea for those who find swatching is wasted yarn. The ends could be sew in. Use the swatch as a coaster under their cup of tea or join in the round as a cup warmer. A frozen water bottle in the summer. Or join all the swatches together and make into a cushion cover/throw. One day will visit, but a long way from South Australia.
Thanks so much Ella, that was really helpful
Two questions, Ella
Do you ever make your 'in the round' swatches actually in the round with a steek? it uses less wool for sure.
And how common is it among handknitters in Shetland to work the yarn from the centre of the ball? I have't seen anyone work that way on the videos and films for SWW21, but it saves the ball running round the floor (with a young kitten, that is a temptation too far!).
Hello, no I don’t do that, with the extra stitches I can’t see how it would use any less wool, and I can’t speak for other Shetlanders but I always work from the outside of the ball.
Hazel Tindall says that she tends to work from the centre of the ball.
Thankyou so much for this....Great idea for me
So helpful!
I never make swatches.👍🏼 but maybe now I will try!
Ella would it be possible to see a short clip of joining in yarns and weaving them.
Great video….very helpful thank you!
Thank you ella
Could I knit the swatch in the round and separate each round by a steek, then cut the steek to make it flat? Would that work?
Yes, that would create the same finish :)
What size needles do you use please? I couldn't hear what you said in the video.
Sorry, i just saw your comment! I usually use 3mm or 3.5mm :)
Sorry if I missed it, but why do you break the yarn instead of carrying it across the back and cutting it at the end?
I just don’t, whenever I tried that I didn’t like how it felt while I was knitting. Just as quick to break it as you go.
Thank you!
Good tip! 👍😁🇳🇱thank you!
That's a lot of wasted yarn. I really want to learn FI, but yarn is expensive, especially if you have to waste it, like that. Thanks, though, for your very interesting and easy to follow lesson. Is that star pattern available to download to play with?
I don’t find it wasteful - less wasteful than making a whole thing in unsuccessful colours for me! The finished samples can be smaller than I show here, even just a repeat. The finished sample usually weighs just a few grams. You can find my patterns on ravelry or payhip. 😊
One more thought: instead of tying all those knots and weaving in, since it's wool, wouldn't it be easier to just felt the ends together? As you can see, I'm new to wool.
@@bikrgran I wouldn’t find that easier!
Hello, I would like to order some wool. What is the kind you recommend on your website for knitting fair isle. Thank you.
The one she mentions in the video and that I think is most commonly used is the Jamieson and Smith 2 ply jumper weight.
She has done a video explaining all the different yarns they produce and their usage. Perhaps you could check that out.
Why not carry the yarn up rather than breaking off? Just wondering.
If you carry it up it might not be on the right side. ☺️
I guess you could use them for mug rugs, but I'd rather make a cap instead of waiting the wool, its too expensive.
Ella, please if you make more videos, try not to let what you are saying drop into an indistinct muttering. Some important details were hard to hear. Very interesting to see you swatching! Thanks.
This method is very slow and wasteful of the yarn in comparison to the following. I find it far quicker and less wasteful to do two or three samples at once enough to work well on a circular needle, then there is no stop start, you complete more samples more quickly where you can play with colour options for the same design or different design options. You can add a small steek between patterns if you wish or a purl seam to separate the design areas.
For me to cast on enough stitches to make it fit on a circular needle would use a lot more wool. I don’t find it slow and I also don’t claim this is the only way to do it, it’s a lot of work to organise these kinds of videos and comments like this do make me wonder why we bother!
@@egordo46 Ella - I have loved watching all of the videos this week. All of the videos have been clear, helpful and informative. Not just the knitting but the history as well. I started fair isle knitting just over two years ago - and love it - and have quite a few fair isle knitting books - and the collection is growing. It is so good seeing the experts in action - and to be able to learn from you all. So thank you for the videos. HB.
Ella it is for people like me that you do the videos. Ones that really appreciate what you do. You give great advice to those of us who are not experienced in this type of knitting. Ignore the others!
@@egordo46 I think you explained your reasoning for this type of swatch very well. Thank you so much for the video. I have watched it twice now, once while waiting for my wool to arrive, and again to help me as I made my first swatch. Thank you for starting me off on what so far has been a very enjoyable project.
@@egordo46 nearly all of the people commenting here are positive as am I , your videos are great informative and clear and you have a nice manner.
You will always get some people that are sour, just ignore and delete. Remember, you would not recognise these people if they passed you in the street, they are just not worth a second thought.