Patreon post with advanced fair isle tips: www.patreon.com/posts/advanced-fair-65706735 Errata: at 27:30 I accidentally said that I used the white as the dominant color at the bottom when in fact it was the blue yarn. The pictures on my blog are correct! ☕️ Support my work and become a patron: www.patreon.com/nimbleneedlez 🧑🎓Free knitting school: nimble-needles.com/learn-to-knit-for-beginners/ 🧶 My knitting tools: nimble-needles.com/wool-and-tools/my-knitting-toolkit-essential-items-i-need-for-every-project/ 👕 My patterns: nimble-needles.com/free-knitting-patterns/ 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/nimbleneedlez/ And feel free to comment any time if you have a question. No need to be shy! :)
@@NimbleNeedles I do enjoy it. And thanks to your videos I'm learning more about how the stitches work, how to spot mistakes, and how to improve my knitting. I definitely appreciate not only how great the information you share is but also how wholesome amd encouraging your videos are.
Today a friend found some hats I made for her over 20 years ago! She sent me pictures and I told her, ‘I don’t really knit fun stuff like that anymore!’ I meant the same as charming! My early hats were charmingly self made!
My knitting is divided into two eras. BNE (Before Norman Era): messy ribbing, socks make me cry, only one color, s t r e s s f u l. ANE (After Norman Era): neat ribbing, happy socks, know how to read knitting, 🌈COLORFUL🌈, every stitch is joy.
Great and clear and sharp. You're funny too. I always come back to your teachings. Thank you for your excellent teaching and super sharp videoing. So well done!
In terms of visual design, color dominance also refers to which colors will pop when you look at the design. So if a muted palette sweater has a pop of bright yellow in it, that may be one of the dominant colors because it's so noticeable and can't "hide" in the rest of the design. I think these are two different things, so that's just from the visual perspective. Thank you for the valuable info about floats, I am driving deep on fair isle lately and love the even tension you're able to achieve. Lovely!
I am not afraid to do a fair isle sweater anymore, but before watching some of your videos, I did not have the confidence I needed to get started. Thank you for helping me know I can do anything I put my mind to. My Norwegian grandma taught me to knit, but she was not as good at explaining things as you are. It will take a long time for me to watch all the videos you have available, but I am addicted and am really enjoying learning new techniques and enforcing some that I already do.
You are a talented blessing!!! I have been knitting for years and have not had anyone explain fair isle as simply as you! I use a knitting thimble and you have inspired me to make one of my my own. 🤗
Thank you for this video! I'm trying fare isle knitting for couple of years and I already found by myself many tricks you talked about. But not all! Why I didn't find your video before? I'm happy for those knitters who would find it in the beginning of their way. And definitely: it needs A LOT of practise to master this!
I really appreciate this information. I understood color work techniques well when I was knitting English style, but now that I knit Continental, a lot is new again. I still understand the basics, but the nuances of using the Continental method, I'm still learning. So, thank you for such good tutorials. I really appreciate it.
I wanted to thank you for this video. I'm about to knit my first cardigan and while I've knit fair isle before I've never done it flat so I feel so lucky that I found your video just before I started my second swatch!
I wish I had seen this before knitting a fair isle hat with slick bamboo yarn! I love that your lessons work for beginners and experienced knitters. I watch even when the subject is something I think I know how to do because I always end up learning something. My projects look better than ever.
This was the only good colorwork video with purl stitches for continental knitters. I tried the thimble and must say I love knitting with both yarns in the left hand but the purl stitches were giving me so many problems. Thank you soo much!!!
I want to add some simple stranded colorwork to a shawl I am making in order to transition from 1 color to another. These tips were very helpful, I am glad I watched this first!
Thank you, the beginner knitalong group on Ravelry is doing stranded colourwork mittens this month and I'm very glad for the advice. Trying to deal with two different yarns at the same time feels very much like being a complete beginner at knitting all over again.
Thank you so much for the tips for using the knitting thimble. I got one after watching your double knitting videos but I was nervous to try it because I wasn't sure which color to use on which side or how to tension and now you've explained so well that I am going to try it! Love your videos!!
I appreciate all the different ways that you explain how things can be done. I am trying to find what works for me and you have given me a lot of ideas to try. Thanks so much.
Wow! I see this fair isle method the first time ...I am a not professional but at least i think an advanced knitter but on fair isle knitting i am an absolute beginner! And it's really interesting and absolutely beautiful! I think my new project is a fair isle one!!! Thank you that you give me a new idea to think about knitting! And i really should say that your tutorials are very good to follow and to understand!
Love your instructions, they’re clear, easy to follón and charming. My first “Fair Isle” (more intarsia with lots of Long flotas to tuck on their way though) project that will not look so much “charmingly self-made” 🙂 i remember will my first steps in knitting intarsia back in early high school days and that is more than 35 years ago (damn, I’m getting old!). Those were “Keith Haring” figures dancing around the lower end of a pullover and as it was back in the 1980s, the pullover had to be black and the figures were neon. LOL 😆
I'm an English style knitter who actually likes to purl. Thanks for all of the theory because it makes me think twice before attempting a project. I'm really slow at knitting so if I make too many mistakes or get frustrated on every row, the project will be frogged and wind up in my crochet pile.
Your videos are clear, intelligent and wonderful. I have a suggestion. I often hear how "simple" certain techniques are. This is often not true for me. I need a lot of practice with anything new. Saying how simple things are is misleading for most of us new to the new technique.
then you misunderstand me. The technique IS simple but of course that doesn't mean that you built up enough knitting muscle memory that it's simple for you yet. So, it's more like a "it's that simple, here, let me take you buy the hand and we'll do it step by step and you'll learn it in no time" kind of encouragement. And judging from previous comments here on my channel, that's how the majority of users perceive it as well. Not saying your feedback isn't valid. Just trying to make you understand why I say it. Our brain works in strange ways, and telling somebody something is complicated will instantly set them on a more difficult path because they brain enters a different mode.
Just started my first fair isle project. I knit English style, and I'm not confident in holding both strands at once yet, but even with dropping the yarn, I have great tension thanks to this video
Hi Norman thank you for sharing with us your knitting tips. You make it look easy and it is easy once tried. I enjoy watching your videos it's very interesting ☺️
Great video! I think this is actually the first good video that shows purling in fair isle including the twisting of stitches when turning your work. I don’t think I seen than explained anywhere yet. Also, maybe I’m confused but when you talk about yarn dominance, the bottom row of 3white stitches that recede a little you said white was dominant. I thought the dominant would be the one not receding?
Great video Norman! I just finished my first jumper with colorwork. Regrettably, I have to make another to make changes to the pattern to fit better. My circular knitting needles (Prym) broke where the cable joins the needle; so I have to pickup lots of stitches. Has that ever happened to you?
I have not ever seen this method. I am a continental knitter but always knit Fair Isle two handed. I also really don't like floats so I weave my floats. Always interesting to see new methods.
I also knit my colorwork two handed, It really helps me keep it neat and tidy, and I weave long floats into the back side of stitches if the run is more than 6 stitches long. It really seems to keep it all in order.
I'm starting my first big-ish fair-isle project (a cowl) and I am so grateful you posted this video when you did 😅. I made a little practice fair-isle project a few weeks ago, which was a little coffee mug cozy, and it came out pretty cute but you can definitely tell it was made by a beginner lol. This video helped a lot and taught me a lot of things that will hopefully improve the outcome of my new project. Thank you!!
I appreciate your helpful videos. I recently saw this comment "I use regular sewing thread in a matching color and simply lay the little tail parallel to a color matched stitch, sew and knot about three times, then cut yarn, thread flush." I have not been able to find any videos or pictures showing how this is done do you have any to share with me.
don't say this. A) careful blocking and fixing mistakes goes into all my swatches and projects. And that's something you can learn and do yourself. B) I have been knitting for well over 30 years now. So, with practise i am sure you will get there some day!
ive done the similar technique in crochet, and a very small amount in a hat, but im hoping to make a vest with color work so im here to review! very helpful
Hello norman! So love your tutorials all the time✨ you have a great explain to easy understand. Can you make tutorial how to convert flat pattern to in round norman? I so happy if you talk about it in the next video thank you so much and hope you always healthy norman 💜💜✨
I probably won't be able to do that. However, you might want to watch this video: th-cam.com/video/ddbwjw9R6sU/w-d-xo.html this might give you a first inkling where to start.
Aaaah that trick with flipping one of the strands is excellent 👏👏 i've watched a bunch of videos about knitting with both strands in one hand and this is the first one to have this tip even tho it seems so obvious in hindsight!! 👏👏👏👏👏
I'm excited to learn to knit. Omg I can't wait to get a set of needles. I have my eye on the chiaboo interchangeable set and the minis. The Forte ones look amazing but sold out. You are a fantastic yarn artist. Love your channel. I love to just watch you knit.
This is just what I needed to see! Just bought the yarn and pattern for my first fair isle Icelandic sweater. Although, I might give holding one colour in each hand a go at least on a swatch minimum. I primarily knit English, but I'm proficient enough at Continental to be comfortable enough and my tension in the latter is only a little tighter than my tension when I knit English.
Of course, try it all and see what works best for you! That's why I listed all the alternatives 😊 tho, if you hold then in both hands, you need a slightly different technique for catching floats
You have the best tips and tricks! And you always explain everything so well. I struggle with my tension while knitting stranded colorwork and this video is just what I needed. I’m going to put a few of these ideas to use and we’ll see how I do. Thank you for sharing all of your boundless knowledge.
Wow... I always found my tension wonky with Fair Isle because I do a two-handed method so there is uneven tension. grrr... I was not sure how to hold two colors in one hand and now I saw how it can be done. I will give this a try! Thank you Norman!
I am English and knit the English way! Please, Norman, have you tried Fair Isle from the 'English throwing ' perspective? I would be so grateful for any advice, as I have always shied away from Fair Isle. May I say a big Thank You for all your advice, and your wholistic style of presentation!
I'm trying my best to learn this and I keep getting back to your videos for guidens. My issue is that one of the strands gets very loose after knitting a few stitches with the other one. It's as if that one is dragging it along. What I mean is the tension of the strand i'm not currently using is suddenly very loose so that I have to fix the tension all the time. Very annoying. If you understand what I mean, then I'm wondering if you perhaps have a suggestion? I wish I could show you somehow :) Let's say you are knitting with your blue yarn. And both strands are well tensioned when you start. You knit 4 stitches with blue and suddenly you notice that the green one has lost it's tension while you where knitting. I don't have tension problems with just one strand, but with two, they seem to affect each other when wrapped around my fingers, like in the video. I have one of those finger-items as well that has never really been used. I will try that as well. Purling is still a mystery too :) Can you hold it like above while purling as well?
i totally understand and your explanation is perfectly acute. So yes, you are somewhat dragging the yarn along. this is one reason why some people knit with either yarn held in a different hand. So left hand does continental, right hand does english knitting. THat would be the solution. In traditional fair isle, you only knit 3 max 4 stitches in one color, so it typically never is a big issue, at least not for me. And yes, you can use the finger rings for purling as well.
@@NimbleNeedles absolutely. I'm starting a linen stitch cowl today, I figure it would be good for trying again. I've been knitting for almost 60 yrs, still find knitting fun, relaxing, and rewarding, and still so much to learn. You're a great teacher!
Norman, you are simply amazing! I so love ALL your tutorials. You're so awesome at explaining the good and bad of various techniques and resolutions where possible. Your tutorials have hoped me become a self-taught knitter, and to improve with each one I watch. I just wanted to say Thank You for encouraging the rest of us. Have a wonderful day!
Timestamps for myself !! Background color on top , contrast/dominant on left/bottom when knitting When purling background color bottom, dominant top BUT dominant twisting under the background one Knit: Catch dominant color 7:58 Catch background color 9:18 Purl: background 15:50 contrast 16:40
I’m an English knitter, so when I started learning stranded color work netting, I kept one color in my right hand to throw, and I picked the other color with my left hand. I had to be careful with my tension, and make sure that I kept the stitches stretched out for the floats, but I found this technique to work very well with working with two colors in strand color work/fair isle. Also keep one ball to the right and one ball to the left so that your yarn don’t get twisted.
Norman! Your videos have been instrumental in my knitting. I would not know a quarter of the things I do without your videos. Thank you for the time and dedication you have put into your skills and these videos!
Hi Norman! Love your videos. 🥰Are you in Berlin by chance? I know you’re in Germany but I forget which city you’re in. I am visiting in Berlin and would like your opinion on best knitting shops in the city center or surrounding area. Thank you for making such a great high value contact. Loved your vicuna gloves!
Another excellent tutorial! I have been cautious about knitting Norwegian mittens because of my tension issues. You have given us more than three methods to be consistent with tension.
Still swatchin 1x1 ribbing. Came across Carlos & Arne. So Now I'm doing the opposite. Twisted knit st, Norwegian purl. Gonna switch back to combination next and see what I think. I think twisting the knit exaggerates the longer purl bars. Twisting the purl maybe better in this case. Don't know if I'm supposed to be twisting both? Is that possible? Hm. What say you?
As always an excellent tutorial. Thank you so much. Apologies for the "stupid" thought....but could Fair Isle be successfully knitted as a vertical pattern instead of around the body? For a cardigan for example? If so any hints on how to adapt? I love your knitting, so skilled and perfect tension all of the time.
@@NimbleNeedles As I said probably a stupid question, but I was thinking of Instead of knitting the pattern in lines around the body in horizontal circles building up from the bottom or down from the neck, could the Fair Isle pattern be knitted so lines appear vertical - like "stripes" down the length of the body (head to toe longways) instead of side to side (cutting across the body). I hope that explains it better.
@@jimmichilton1409 ofc that is possible. at the end of the day, knitting creates fabric and you can use it any way you like. Most knitting is a bit more stretchy horizontally, so that's something to keep in mind.
After watching many Arnie and Carlos videos, I do not at all believe that there is yarn dominance. According to them, as long as your tension is even, no color will be dominant over another. Therefore, I’m very careful with my tension (not too good yet, but I’m working on it) so that color dominance is not an issue. FairIsle is what they do. I do very much love your videos, but politely disagree on the dominance issue. Thank you for your great advice.
Okay, i really respect Arne and Carlos for everything they did for the knitting community. But the way they even joke about yarn dominance is so disrespectful and rude and it actually made be unfollow them. The way they knit, makes it less relevant (altho not totally). But not everyone does norwegian knitting and not everyone just knits in the round, and the very second you leave that path, yarn dominance starts to matter. And to joke about that just..i dunno..it's not how I see knitting and I would ever treat a fellow knitter. You don't laugh about someones problems and convinctions. It's very unbecoming :( Yarn dominance is a very real thing for Continental and English knitters and very easy to explain (99% of the books explain it wrong, tho). I recently did a full Patreon exclusive episode about it: www.patreon.com/posts/advanced-fair-65706735 Also just a well-meant tip. Tension has literally nothing to do with yarn dominance.
I always thought I had to pull the unused yarn when changing from one needle to another when knitting colourwork on dpns. Your explanation on keeping the floats loose instead makes so much sense. Pythagoras theorem!
Thanks for all the various yarn techniques. I have made a number of stranded sweaters this past year and some were great and others pretty bad. I live in coastal California, so I end up doing cotton quite often, and it is harder to make color work look good. In fact my one cotton intarsia did look better than my cotton stranded, one of which got frogged and the other given away! I have a cotton stranded wip, hopefully your tips will give me the impetus to pick it up again.
I sure hope it will. But yeah, cotton is not the easiest thread to do fair isle with. Have you considered going for a cotton blend? There are quite some that are a little bit more fuzzy.
Curious. Does anyone else use both hands when knitting fair isles? I put one color in my right hand and the other in my left. I know he brought this up, but I’ve never tried putting two colors in one hand 🤷🏻♀️
lot's of people do that. Most people end up with a mixed gauge but if that doesn't concern you, then nothing whatsoever speaks against it under normal circumstances. My channel is about continental knitting, tho.
Hallo norman. Vielen Dank, für die ausführliche erklärung. Der tipp, die maschen immer nach rechts zu schieben (streching) ist gold wert. Ich werde nochmal üben gehen. Ich denke auch, so ein fingerhut für die fadentrennung ist eine investition wert. Das sieht für mich (als fair isle anfänger) mit fingerhut einfacher aus. Vielen Dank, für deine Geduld und Mühe. Ein klasse video!!! Liebe Grüße Susann
Nach zwei Jahren hast Du bestimmt das Dingen schon besorgt. Ich kam mit dem so gar nicht klar. In einem anderen Video geshen: ein Ringfinger Ring passt bei mir supergut auf die Zeigefingerkuppe und hält mit Stein die Fäden schön auseinander, und klemmt sie perfekt gerade so ein bisschen ein, dass minimal, aber nicht gar keine Spannung, da ist. UND ist viel hübscher als das Dingen. 😊 Wenn ich die Maschen einmal über und einmal unter den mitlaufenden Faden stricke, also alle floats catche (no floats), ist das Ergebnis erstaunlich stretchy und vor allem ultraneat und hübsch auf der Rückseite. (bei einer Norweger Jacke sieht man ja öfter die Innenseite) Begeisterung pur!! Bin durch unzählige Videos, aber fand beide Fäden rechts oder einen je Hand. Oder nur rechte Maschen. Hätte mal lieber gleich bei Norman gesucht. Veni, vidi, stricki!!
![A better way to knit German short rows [and why yours may look all wrong]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/i_F8A5Lyz88/mqdefault.jpg)
![A better way to knit German short rows [and why yours may look all wrong]](/img/tr.png)
![How to knit continental style [+the secrets behind tensioning your yarn]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TI-IO-OWJXs/mqdefault.jpg)
![[UNCUT] “บอสณวัฒน์” ลากไส้!! ใครหนุนหลัง "แม่ตั๊ก ป๋าเบียร์" I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 30 ก.ย. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QlD7mU2KKRk/mqdefault.jpg)
Patreon post with advanced fair isle tips: www.patreon.com/posts/advanced-fair-65706735
Errata: at 27:30 I accidentally said that I used the white as the dominant color at the bottom when in fact it was the blue yarn. The pictures on my blog are correct!
☕️ Support my work and become a patron: www.patreon.com/nimbleneedlez
🧑🎓Free knitting school: nimble-needles.com/learn-to-knit-for-beginners/
🧶 My knitting tools: nimble-needles.com/wool-and-tools/my-knitting-toolkit-essential-items-i-need-for-every-project/
👕 My patterns: nimble-needles.com/free-knitting-patterns/
📸 Instagram: instagram.com/nimbleneedlez/
And feel free to comment any time if you have a question. No need to be shy! :)
I love how you teach, thanks for explaining well. Greetings from Chile
Charmingly self-made is the best description I could apply to most of my projects.
I'm very sure that is not true. But even if it were, it's a hobby and it's about the joy it brings you ❤
Same 😂
@@NimbleNeedles I do enjoy it. And thanks to your videos I'm learning more about how the stitches work, how to spot mistakes, and how to improve my knitting. I definitely appreciate not only how great the information you share is but also how wholesome amd encouraging your videos are.
Today a friend found some hats I made for her over 20 years ago! She sent me pictures and I told her, ‘I don’t really knit fun stuff like that anymore!’ I meant the same as charming! My early hats were charmingly self made!
I thought that was such a fantastic way to describe it! ❤️
My knitting is divided into two eras.
BNE (Before Norman Era): messy ribbing, socks make me cry, only one color, s t r e s s f u l.
ANE (After Norman Era): neat ribbing, happy socks, know how to read knitting, 🌈COLORFUL🌈, every stitch is joy.
aww...thank you yunai!
Omg.. I love your comment
I agree!
Norman, your videos are by far the most helpful that I’ve come across. Thank you so much 🙏
Great and clear and sharp. You're funny too. I always come back to your teachings. Thank you for your excellent teaching and super sharp videoing. So well done!
You truly set the Gold Standard for explaining knitting techniques.
oh wow! happy to hear that!
In terms of visual design, color dominance also refers to which colors will pop when you look at the design. So if a muted palette sweater has a pop of bright yellow in it, that may be one of the dominant colors because it's so noticeable and can't "hide" in the rest of the design. I think these are two different things, so that's just from the visual perspective.
Thank you for the valuable info about floats, I am driving deep on fair isle lately and love the even tension you're able to achieve. Lovely!
yes, that's certainly another aspect to consider. thank you for mentioning it.
I love that you hold your yarn crochet-style like me!
I avoid purling by switching hands. 👐
I am not afraid to do a fair isle sweater anymore, but before watching some of your videos, I did not have the confidence I needed to get started. Thank you for helping me know I can do anything I put my mind to. My Norwegian grandma taught me to knit, but she was not as good at explaining things as you are. It will take a long time for me to watch all the videos you have available, but I am addicted and am really enjoying learning new techniques and enforcing some that I already do.
Of course you can. But be patient with yourself and maybe practice a bit on a little swatch 😊
You are a talented blessing!!! I have been knitting for years and have not had anyone explain fair isle as simply as you! I use a knitting thimble and you have inspired me to make one of my my own. 🤗
Glad it worked for you. Pondered quite long and hard how to pace this 😊🧶
This is the tutorial i needed right now !
Awesome. Glad I can be there for you ❤
I cannot put into words how good this channel is. I look at this and immediately go "yes I get it"
Thank you 🥰
Thank you for this video!
I'm trying fare isle knitting for couple of years and I already found by myself many tricks you talked about. But not all! Why I didn't find your video before?
I'm happy for those knitters who would find it in the beginning of their way.
And definitely: it needs A LOT of practise to master this!
I know that this is a video medium but thank you for doing everything twice the way you do.
I'm a slow continental knitter, but a fast english knitter. 25:22 made my eyes pop out with the possibilities. Thank you soooooooo much!
My pleasure nikki. And yes, there are soooooo many ways to knit this and you just gotta find out what works for you
These tips are invaluable. Thank you. I am a visual learner so these institutions are perfect.
I really appreciate this information. I understood color work techniques well when I was knitting English style, but now that I knit Continental, a lot is new again. I still understand the basics, but the nuances of using the Continental method, I'm still learning. So, thank you for such good tutorials. I really appreciate it.
I wanted to thank you for this video. I'm about to knit my first cardigan and while I've knit fair isle before I've never done it flat so I feel so lucky that I found your video just before I started my second swatch!
I wish I had seen this before knitting a fair isle hat with slick bamboo yarn! I love that your lessons work for beginners and experienced knitters. I watch even when the subject is something I think I know how to do because I always end up learning something. My projects look better than ever.
You are so welcome, Gina! happy to hear my videos are illuminating even for experienced knitters!
This was the only good colorwork video with purl stitches for continental knitters. I tried the thimble and must say I love knitting with both yarns in the left hand but the purl stitches were giving me so many problems. Thank you soo much!!!
Thank you for sharing your Fair Isle knowledge, so I can avoid some mistakes now😉Greetings from the Austrian mountains❣
I want to add some simple stranded colorwork to a shawl I am making in order to transition from 1 color to another. These tips were very helpful, I am glad I watched this first!
have fun knitting your colorful shawl!
Thank you, the beginner knitalong group on Ravelry is doing stranded colourwork mittens this month and I'm very glad for the advice. Trying to deal with two different yarns at the same time feels very much like being a complete beginner at knitting all over again.
Thank you so much for the tips for using the knitting thimble. I got one after watching your double knitting videos but I was nervous to try it because I wasn't sure which color to use on which side or how to tension and now you've explained so well that I am going to try it! Love your videos!!
awesome. happy knitting!
Oh my word you did it I made the request for you to do a Fair Isle tutorial thank you so much 😊 💖
My pleasure, diane! 🥰🧶
I appreciate all the different ways that you explain how things can be done. I am trying to find what works for me and you have given me a lot of ideas to try. Thanks so much.
Yeah, that was the plan..showing alternatives. Glad it worked 😊😊🧶
Just found your site and I must say your knitting is beautiful thank you for all your tutorials.
Wow! I see this fair isle method the first time ...I am a not professional but at least i think an advanced knitter but on fair isle knitting i am an absolute beginner! And it's really interesting and absolutely beautiful! I think my new project is a fair isle one!!! Thank you that you give me a new idea to think about knitting! And i really should say that your tutorials are very good to follow and to understand!
Glad you think so!
It would be so perfect if you could share a knitalong for a fair isle project....linke a hat or a scarf or something like that !
@@Manuelh667 i am not sure what you mean. you want me to host a knitalong or share links to planned knitalongs from other designers?
Sorry I meant hosting a knitalong 😅
Love your instructions, they’re clear, easy to follón and charming. My first “Fair Isle” (more intarsia with lots of Long flotas to tuck on their way though) project that will not look so much “charmingly self-made” 🙂 i remember will my first steps in knitting intarsia back in early high school days and that is more than 35 years ago (damn, I’m getting old!). Those were “Keith Haring” figures dancing around the lower end of a pullover and as it was back in the 1980s, the pullover had to be black and the figures were neon. LOL 😆
Thank you so very much, Norman! ❤️
ありがとうございます。わかりやすい動画です。本当に役に立ちました。
Very glad to hear that. (Sorry for not responding in Japanese but I'm not at home and I haven't installed Japanese on it yet😅)
大丈夫です。コメントしてくれてありがとうございます。
I'm an English style knitter who actually likes to purl. Thanks for all of the theory because it makes me think twice before attempting a project. I'm really slow at knitting so if I make too many mistakes or get frustrated on every row, the project will be frogged and wind up in my crochet pile.
Maybe look into Portuguese knitting? I find it a lot faster! The tension comes from the front so it’s just a flick of the thumb to make the stitch
Your videos are great and so informative! Your hard work and skill is greatly appreciated. Can't wait to knit my Icelandic fair isle cardigan flat!
I learned to do this by holding one yarn in the left hand and the other in my right hand
You can do that as well, yes 😎
Excellent tutorial, as usual! Now I just need to find time between gardening and the rest of life to actually make use of your instructions.
Haha..well, we had snow today, so, that's a good excuse to skip gardening 😅
@@NimbleNeedles hope you enjoy it. I am over the winter weather, so ready for full on spring. The older I get the more I prefer warm weather.
Wow. You make this one looks veery eeeasy ❤❤❤ Definitely will try to make some
Best explaining ever! Thank you so much ❤️ all my issues are answered 😊
Amazing as always! Do incredibly helpful. I can’t wait to try a new fair isle project and see how much better it can be!
Your videos are clear, intelligent and wonderful.
I have a suggestion. I often hear how "simple" certain techniques are. This is often not true for me. I need a lot of practice with anything new. Saying how simple things are is misleading for most of us new to the new technique.
then you misunderstand me. The technique IS simple but of course that doesn't mean that you built up enough knitting muscle memory that it's simple for you yet. So, it's more like a "it's that simple, here, let me take you buy the hand and we'll do it step by step and you'll learn it in no time" kind of encouragement. And judging from previous comments here on my channel, that's how the majority of users perceive it as well.
Not saying your feedback isn't valid. Just trying to make you understand why I say it. Our brain works in strange ways, and telling somebody something is complicated will instantly set them on a more difficult path because they brain enters a different mode.
those needles are tempting….. so pointy 😊
This is an amazingly informative video. Thanks so much for putting so much hard work into making these videos for us! I also adore your accent :D
You are so welcome!
As usual, Norman, your tutorials are so easy to comprehend. I love your style! I learn so much each time I watch. Thank you!
Awesome 👍🏾❤️😀
My pleasure 🥰
Just started my first fair isle project. I knit English style, and I'm not confident in holding both strands at once yet, but even with dropping the yarn, I have great tension thanks to this video
I personally use a knitting thimble. i can keep the tension better this one. I lose tension in one color, when rapped around my index finger.
Love your videos, they are always so detailed and thorough. What yarn do you use in your tutorial videos? I love it the way it works up.
Catania grande
Hi Norman thank you for sharing with us your knitting tips. You make it look easy and it is easy once tried. I enjoy watching your videos it's very interesting ☺️
it certainly is! Takes a bit of practise to get it neat but the actual technique is quite simple. So glad you were able to catch on!
Great video! I think this is actually the first good video that shows purling in fair isle including the twisting of stitches when turning your work. I don’t think I seen than explained anywhere yet.
Also, maybe I’m confused but when you talk about yarn dominance, the bottom row of 3white stitches that recede a little you said white was dominant. I thought the dominant would be the one not receding?
white was the dominant color for the top samples.
Very informative video. Thank you so much.
Great video Norman! I just finished my first jumper with colorwork. Regrettably, I have to make another to make changes to the pattern to fit better. My circular knitting needles (Prym) broke where the cable joins the needle; so I have to pickup lots of stitches. Has that ever happened to you?
To me personally? Only once. But it is common enough. Knitting needles are tools and as such they will break eventually. Just like any other tool.😥
Prym? I thought they were supposed to be great needles like their Crochet hooks. 🤔
Love this so much! Thank you!
Thank you, so many good tips!
I have not ever seen this method. I am a continental knitter but always knit Fair Isle two handed. I also really don't like floats so I weave my floats. Always interesting to see new methods.
Yeah, I feel, even if you don't incorporate something into your own knitting, new techniques will still give u new ideas 😊😊
I also knit my colorwork two handed, It really helps me keep it neat and tidy, and I weave long floats into the back side of stitches if the run is more than 6 stitches long. It really seems to keep it all in order.
I'm starting my first big-ish fair-isle project (a cowl) and I am so grateful you posted this video when you did 😅. I made a little practice fair-isle project a few weeks ago, which was a little coffee mug cozy, and it came out pretty cute but you can definitely tell it was made by a beginner lol. This video helped a lot and taught me a lot of things that will hopefully improve the outcome of my new project. Thank you!!
I sure hope it did. Have fun knitting your cowl! 😊🧶
as an absolute total beginner I can confirm that this is actually pretty easy to follow and understand. top video.
I appreciate your helpful videos. I recently saw this comment "I use regular sewing thread in a matching color and simply lay the little tail parallel to a color matched stitch, sew and knot about three times, then cut yarn, thread flush." I have not been able to find any videos or pictures showing how this is done do you have any to share with me.
i'm sorry. I don't
Thank you for responding@@NimbleNeedles
Your work looks like a machine did it... Like, will I EVER get to even a tenth of your level of greatness?? No. No, I will not.
don't say this. A) careful blocking and fixing mistakes goes into all my swatches and projects. And that's something you can learn and do yourself.
B) I have been knitting for well over 30 years now. So, with practise i am sure you will get there some day!
ive done the similar technique in crochet, and a very small amount in a hat, but im hoping to make a vest with color work so im here to review! very helpful
(my favorite knitting youtuber talks about Fair Isle knitting !!!! )
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! 🤩
*blush* my pleasure, Maria 😊🧶
Hello norman! So love your tutorials all the time✨ you have a great explain to easy understand. Can you make tutorial how to convert flat pattern to in round norman? I so happy if you talk about it in the next video thank you so much and hope you always healthy norman 💜💜✨
I probably won't be able to do that. However, you might want to watch this video: th-cam.com/video/ddbwjw9R6sU/w-d-xo.html
this might give you a first inkling where to start.
Aaaah that trick with flipping one of the strands is excellent 👏👏 i've watched a bunch of videos about knitting with both strands in one hand and this is the first one to have this tip even tho it seems so obvious in hindsight!! 👏👏👏👏👏
happy to hear your search has finally come to end end
Thanks!
My pleasure. Thank you for supporting my work ❤️
I'm excited to learn to knit. Omg I can't wait to get a set of needles. I have my eye on the chiaboo interchangeable set and the minis. The Forte ones look amazing but sold out.
You are a fantastic yarn artist. Love your channel. I love to just watch you knit.
This is just what I needed to see! Just bought the yarn and pattern for my first fair isle Icelandic sweater. Although, I might give holding one colour in each hand a go at least on a swatch minimum. I primarily knit English, but I'm proficient enough at Continental to be comfortable enough and my tension in the latter is only a little tighter than my tension when I knit English.
Of course, try it all and see what works best for you! That's why I listed all the alternatives 😊 tho, if you hold then in both hands, you need a slightly different technique for catching floats
You have the best tips and tricks! And you always explain everything so well. I struggle with my tension while knitting stranded colorwork and this video is just what I needed. I’m going to put a few of these ideas to use and we’ll see how I do. Thank you for sharing all of your boundless knowledge.
Thank you very much.
You are very welcome, Pamela 😊❤
Wow... I always found my tension wonky with Fair Isle because I do a two-handed method so there is uneven tension. grrr... I was not sure how to hold two colors in one hand and now I saw how it can be done. I will give this a try! Thank you Norman!
I am English and knit the English way! Please, Norman, have you tried Fair Isle from the 'English throwing ' perspective? I would be so grateful for any advice, as I have always shied away from Fair Isle. May I say a big Thank You for all your advice, and your wholistic style of presentation!
Hey Maryon. I have, but I keep to continental knitting here on my channel as it's what I know best. Sorry 😥
Wow thank you soooo much . Finely I have a tutorial I like.
Thank you thank you
My pleasure, Barb ❤🧶
Super!👌👍👍👍🙋🏻♀️🌹
Thank you very much
I knitted since 10 years old. I'm a 3rd generation knitter .how is the stretch? I ❤️ Love 💡. I'm 64 years young.
What do you mean by "how is the stretch?" I mean, beyond what I said in the video...🤔
Finally!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Hope it answers all the questions you had ❤
I'm trying my best to learn this and I keep getting back to your videos for guidens. My issue is that one of the strands gets very loose after knitting a few stitches with the other one. It's as if that one is dragging it along. What I mean is the tension of the strand i'm not currently using is suddenly very loose so that I have to fix the tension all the time. Very annoying. If you understand what I mean, then I'm wondering if you perhaps have a suggestion? I wish I could show you somehow :)
Let's say you are knitting with your blue yarn. And both strands are well tensioned when you start. You knit 4 stitches with blue and suddenly you notice that the green one has lost it's tension while you where knitting. I don't have tension problems with just one strand, but with two, they seem to affect each other when wrapped around my fingers, like in the video.
I have one of those finger-items as well that has never really been used. I will try that as well. Purling is still a mystery too :) Can you hold it like above while purling as well?
i totally understand and your explanation is perfectly acute. So yes, you are somewhat dragging the yarn along. this is one reason why some people knit with either yarn held in a different hand. So left hand does continental, right hand does english knitting. THat would be the solution.
In traditional fair isle, you only knit 3 max 4 stitches in one color, so it typically never is a big issue, at least not for me.
And yes, you can use the finger rings for purling as well.
I've always knit Fair Isle with English and Continental together.... oddly enough, I can't seem to knit Continental alone lol
That's interesting. But I guess there's a different kind of tension needed 🤔
@@NimbleNeedles absolutely. I'm starting a linen stitch cowl today, I figure it would be good for trying again. I've been knitting for almost 60 yrs, still find knitting fun, relaxing, and rewarding, and still so much to learn. You're a great teacher!
Norman, you are simply amazing! I so love ALL your tutorials. You're so awesome at explaining the good and bad of various techniques and resolutions where possible. Your tutorials have hoped me become a self-taught knitter, and to improve with each one I watch. I just wanted to say Thank You for encouraging the rest of us. Have a wonderful day!
You are very welcome 🙏
Timestamps for myself !!
Background color on top , contrast/dominant on left/bottom when knitting
When purling background color bottom, dominant top BUT dominant twisting under the background one
Knit: Catch dominant color 7:58 Catch background color 9:18
Purl: background 15:50 contrast 16:40
?
@@NimbleNeedles please absolutely ignore my comment this is just timestamps for myself 😂
I’m an English knitter, so when I started learning stranded color work netting, I kept one color in my right hand to throw, and I picked the other color with my left hand. I had to be careful with my tension, and make sure that I kept the stitches stretched out for the floats, but I found this technique to work very well with working with two colors in strand color work/fair isle. Also keep one ball to the right and one ball to the left so that your yarn don’t get twisted.
Norman! Your videos have been instrumental in my knitting. I would not know a quarter of the things I do without your videos. Thank you for the time and dedication you have put into your skills and these videos!
Wow, thank you!
Hi Norman! Love your videos. 🥰Are you in Berlin by chance? I know you’re in Germany but I forget which city you’re in. I am visiting in Berlin and would like your opinion on best knitting shops in the city center or surrounding area. Thank you for making such a great high value contact. Loved your vicuna gloves!
No, I am not from Berlin, sorry
What are the chances. Yesterday I tried it for the first time and had some trouble.
I can read minds...well I wish 😅
Great video. Have already saved it to my list of knitting tutorials. Very clear, and and useful. Thank you.
Your timing is perfect. I just found a hat pattern that said it was good for your first fair isle project and picked my yarn. Thank you Norman!! 🧶💕🧶
Hope this video will help you knitting it 😊😊🧶
Very good tesion tips, Thanks !
Glad you think so, nicole. Always nice to see a familiar face here in the comments ❤🧶
Another excellent tutorial! I have been cautious about knitting Norwegian mittens because of my tension issues. You have given us more than three methods to be consistent with tension.
Thank you, rebecca ❤🧶
Norman do you have a video that you start with the pattern you doing in this video please
No, sorry.
Your tutorials are always so helpful and thorough. I know if I need to learn I come here! Thank you for your hard work!
Still swatchin 1x1 ribbing. Came across Carlos & Arne. So Now I'm doing the opposite. Twisted knit st, Norwegian purl. Gonna switch back to combination next and see what I think. I think twisting the knit exaggerates the longer purl bars. Twisting the purl maybe better in this case. Don't know if I'm supposed to be twisting both? Is that possible? Hm. What say you?
Hmm.. not sure if you ate over thinking stuff a bit and trying too much 😅
Wow, this was mind blowing. This is definitely the best video about this knitting technique ... Thank you so much! ❤
You are very welcome, sandra. Thank you for the kind words ❤🧶
As always an excellent tutorial. Thank you so much. Apologies for the "stupid" thought....but could Fair Isle be successfully knitted as a vertical pattern instead of around the body? For a cardigan for example? If so any hints on how to adapt? I love your knitting, so skilled and perfect tension all of the time.
I am not exactly sure what you mean with "vertical pattern". please elaborate ;-)
@@NimbleNeedles As I said probably a stupid question, but I was thinking of Instead of knitting the pattern in lines around the body in horizontal circles building up from the bottom or down from the neck, could the Fair Isle pattern be knitted so lines appear vertical - like "stripes" down the length of the body (head to toe longways) instead of side to side (cutting across the body). I hope that explains it better.
@@jimmichilton1409 ofc that is possible. at the end of the day, knitting creates fabric and you can use it any way you like. Most knitting is a bit more stretchy horizontally, so that's something to keep in mind.
@@NimbleNeedles Thanks for that.
After watching many Arnie and Carlos videos, I do not at all believe that there is yarn dominance. According to them, as long as your tension is even, no color will be dominant over another. Therefore, I’m very careful with my tension (not too good yet, but I’m working on it) so that color dominance is not an issue. FairIsle is what they do. I do very much love your videos, but politely disagree on the dominance issue. Thank you for your great advice.
Okay, i really respect Arne and Carlos for everything they did for the knitting community. But the way they even joke about yarn dominance is so disrespectful and rude and it actually made be unfollow them. The way they knit, makes it less relevant (altho not totally). But not everyone does norwegian knitting and not everyone just knits in the round, and the very second you leave that path, yarn dominance starts to matter. And to joke about that just..i dunno..it's not how I see knitting and I would ever treat a fellow knitter. You don't laugh about someones problems and convinctions. It's very unbecoming :(
Yarn dominance is a very real thing for Continental and English knitters and very easy to explain (99% of the books explain it wrong, tho). I recently did a full Patreon exclusive episode about it: www.patreon.com/posts/advanced-fair-65706735
Also just a well-meant tip. Tension has literally nothing to do with yarn dominance.
Terrific video and demonstration. Thank you so much. I have a little yarn thimble. I didn’t know what it was for. Thank for that demonstration too.
You are very welcome. These thimbles can be used for quite a lot of things, actually. And this is one of them 😊🧶
Thank you! This is super helpful! I always have trouble controlling tension working on fair isle projects.
Yeah, it's the biggest issue for most. So, don't fret about it. All it takes is a bit of practice 😊🧶
Excellent info! I've done quite a bit of fair isle but I picked up some new tricks, thanks!
Yeah, this is more geared towards beginners. I wanted to add more tips and tricks but then I noticed the video was already long enough 🙈🙈
I always thought I had to pull the unused yarn when changing from one needle to another when knitting colourwork on dpns. Your explanation on keeping the floats loose instead makes so much sense. Pythagoras theorem!
Glad u understood that. Was unsure if it's a bit too mathematical. 🙈
Thanks for all the various yarn techniques. I have made a number of stranded sweaters this past year and some were great and others pretty bad. I live in coastal California, so I end up doing cotton quite often, and it is harder to make color work look good. In fact my one cotton intarsia did look better than my cotton stranded, one of which got frogged and the other given away! I have a cotton stranded wip, hopefully your tips will give me the impetus to pick it up again.
I sure hope it will. But yeah, cotton is not the easiest thread to do fair isle with. Have you considered going for a cotton blend? There are quite some that are a little bit more fuzzy.
I am so glad you made this video. I have always steered clear of Fair Isle because I was too intimidated. I think I can try it now.
I sure hope you will, Cleo!
Curious. Does anyone else use both hands when knitting fair isles? I put one color in my right hand and the other in my left.
I know he brought this up, but I’ve never tried putting two colors in one hand 🤷🏻♀️
lot's of people do that. Most people end up with a mixed gauge but if that doesn't concern you, then nothing whatsoever speaks against it under normal circumstances. My channel is about continental knitting, tho.
Love your tutorials. You explain very neat. Thank you.
Yeeeeeey this is what I wished for😁😁😁👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Very happy to hear that 😊
Hallo norman.
Vielen Dank, für die ausführliche erklärung. Der tipp, die maschen immer nach rechts zu schieben (streching) ist gold wert.
Ich werde nochmal üben gehen. Ich denke auch, so ein fingerhut für die fadentrennung ist eine investition wert. Das sieht für mich (als fair isle anfänger) mit fingerhut einfacher aus.
Vielen Dank, für deine Geduld und Mühe. Ein klasse video!!!
Liebe Grüße
Susann
Ist es ehrlich gesagt auch. Und von Prym gibst die Dinger für 2,50 oder so. Also nicht wirklich eine Investition 😊🤣
Nach zwei Jahren hast Du bestimmt das Dingen schon besorgt. Ich kam mit dem so gar nicht klar. In einem anderen Video geshen: ein Ringfinger Ring passt bei mir supergut auf die Zeigefingerkuppe und hält mit Stein die Fäden schön auseinander, und klemmt sie perfekt gerade so ein bisschen ein, dass minimal, aber nicht gar keine Spannung, da ist. UND ist viel hübscher als das Dingen. 😊
Wenn ich die Maschen einmal über und einmal unter den mitlaufenden Faden stricke, also alle floats catche (no floats), ist das Ergebnis erstaunlich stretchy und vor allem ultraneat und hübsch auf der Rückseite. (bei einer Norweger Jacke sieht man ja öfter die Innenseite)
Begeisterung pur!!
Bin durch unzählige Videos, aber fand beide Fäden rechts oder einen je Hand. Oder nur rechte Maschen. Hätte mal lieber gleich bei Norman gesucht. Veni, vidi, stricki!!