Finished, actually, last weekend:

As I mentioned in my last post, I used charts from a design from an old book (Traditional Knitting from the Scottish and Irish Isles, edited by Debbie Bliss) to create this sweater. The original is a sleeveless v-neck vest designed by Lesley Stanfield. I used both Jamieson & Smith and Jamiesons of Shetland yarn as I couldn’t find all the colors in one or the other brand.

I’m very pleased with how it turned out — I managed to get the sleeves looing like they match the body.

Next up . . . a non-fairisle project!

And Loki is having a busy day.

In a not-so-surprising move, I am knitting another fair isle sweater. This:

This is from a book I’ve owned for ages: Traditional Knitting from the Scottish and Irish Isles, edited by Debbie Bliss. It was published in 1991. Wow — that is thirty years ago! It’s out of print but I see copies available on Amazon, both the original book published in the U.K. and the U.S. reprint.

I bought it when it first came out and I have knit several of the designs — there are a lot of good ones in this book! I had previously knit the one I am making now — it is the Fair Isle Long Line Slipover designed by Lesley Stanfield. It’s a v-neck sleeveless vest. I made it as directed back then.

But this time around I’m simply using the charts/colors to knit a long-sleeve crew-neck pullover. I am into the armhole steeks

I’m using a mix of Jamieson & Smith and Jamieson’s shetland jumper weight simply because I couldn’t find all the colors I needed in one or the other brand. I love these colors and I love the flower motif in the ribbing.

So there you have it.

And here is my little shrimp.

I finished Hillswick Lumber:

I knit an insanely bright fair isle (my own design):

And I knit a fair isle from leftovers from my other fair isle projects and a set of mini-skeins from Wee County Yarns:

Oh, and Loki took a lot of naps:

It will probably not surprise you to know that I did indeed finish the Wilma Cardigan:

And of course I started a new project:

This is Hillswick Lumber, designed by Ann Feitelson, from her 1996 book The Art of Fair Isle Knitting. I’m using Jamieson & Smith Shetland Spindrift in the original colors.

If you follow me on Instagram, you already know my sad news: my dad died on Wednesday, from complications of COVID. He was 91 years old and had been living in the memory care unit of a nursing home for the past couple of years, as he had full-on dementia. It seems like we lost him a while back, so it is a very strange time. The nursing home has been on lock-down since last spring so he died alone and we will not really get closure until after restrictions are lifted and we can finally have a funeral service for him. It’s a sad ending to what was an amazing life. I wrote an obituary for him, here.

So as not to end on that note:

Last time I showed you a fair isle I’m knitting using pattern charts from Wilma Malcolmson. I’m now close to finishing!

The pattern I’m working from is for a square-neck pullover. I have far more use for cardigans than pullovers (assuming I ever leave my condo again) so I adapted on the fly. I think it is turning out well!

So does Loki.