![]() ![]() ![]() Have you ever thought about incorporating Fair Isle (also known as intarsia or stranded colorwork) into your favorite knitting pattern? Fair Isle knits are bang on trend for Fall, so now is a great time to learn how to incorporate your own custom color chart into your patterns. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to make a simple cell phone cozy. Are you ready? Let's go. Supplies![]() ![]() ![]()
1. Decide On Your ProjectStep 1In this tutorial, I'm adding a color chart to a cell phone cozy that's sized to fit the Samsung Galaxy S4 (or any other similarly sized smart phone). Step 2Once you've decided what project you're going to make, have a look at your pattern. Here is the pattern for the basic cell phone cozy used in this tutorial:
2. Calculate the Space That Can Support the ChartYou need at least two rows on each side of the chart to support either the chart or seaming. 3. Design Your ChartWhen designing your chart, there are two major rules for Fair Isle.
I've added an owl to my cell phone cozy, but I didn't need all 14 rows in the chart. It's up to you if you would like to use all the space or only some of the space. ![]() ![]() ![]() 4. Start Knitting Your ProjectBegin the project as normal and knit up to the row where the chart starts. ![]() ![]() ![]() 5. Start the Color WorkStep 1Knit the first row of your chart in the main color (MC) until you reach the first contrasting color (CC) stitch. You can give yourself an easy reminder of where you will start the chart by placing a marker just before the first and/or last stitch. In my case I've placed a marker to separate the front of the cozy from the back (the stitch was placed after 13 stitches were knitted on the right side). ![]() ![]() ![]() Step 2Leave a long tail in the contrasting color to allow for weaving in ends. If you are choosing to knit one handed, you must twist the CC yarn with the MC yarn to prevent holes from appearing in the work. This is incredibly important for your finished work to smoothly transition from one color to another. Though it sounds complicated, just remember to always pick up the next yarn from the bottom. You will also have to stop at times to untangle the yarn. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() There Are Two Ways to Hold Your Yarn
![]() ![]() ![]() 6. Switch Back to the Main ColorStep 1When you switch back to the MC yarn, keep the stitches loose to ensure the project doesn’t bubble; this is the float I mentioned in Step 3. The looser the float, the better. Continue alternating colors until you’ve finished the row. ![]() ![]() ![]() Step 2Continue knitting through the color chart until you’ve completed the chart. At this point you can return to the pattern to finish the project. Step 3When you switch back to the MC yarn, keep the stitches loose to ensure the project doesn’t bubble; this is the float I mentioned in Step 3. The looser the float the better. Continue alternating colors until you’ve finished the row. ![]() ![]() ![]() Step 4Continue knitting through the color chart until you’ve completed the chart. At this point you can return to the pattern to finish the project. 7. Weave in the EndsWeaving in the ends secures the yarn and you shouldn't need to tie knots in the back of the work. If you are unsure how to weave in ends, you can find a simple tutorial here. 8. Add the Finishing TouchesStep 1When you've completed knitting, add seaming or buttons as indicated in your pattern. Step 2For this project, knit two inches of I-cord, and attach it to the center back of the cozy. Step 3Now sew on a button in the center middle of the ribbing on the front of the cozy. ![]() ![]() ![]() 9. Block Your ProjectBlocking is very important when you use Fair Isle as it ensures that your stitches are the right size and lay flat. If you’ve never blocked a project before, you can find a really simple tutorial here. Personalize it!Congratulations! You have now made your very own color Fair Isle chart to add into a knitting pattern! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Have you found a knitting pattern and thought that it would look better with a color pattern? Let us know in the comments section below! |
The Easiest Way to Incorporate Fair Isle Charts Into Your Favorite Pattern
Have you ever thought about incorporating Fair Isle (also known as intarsia or stranded colorwork) into your favorite knitting pattern? Fair Isle knits are...
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Source: crafts.tutsplus.com
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