Susan's Fair Isle Scarf started me on my Fair Isle Journey.

Helloeee! Just sorted out the little problem with the computer, and am now all yours.

I had thought I might be able to show you my finished fair isle dress today, but alas, it is not to be. It needs to be lined. The fair isle section on the skirt, is so heavy, it's pulling the top part down, and I don't want any stretching going on.

So I have looked in my fabric stash, and found an old curtain I bought in a charity shop, and I'm going to use that to line my dress.

My friend Bob, who's just had a baby, and is a dress maker and costumier by profession (she's worked for the Globe Theatre in London, impressive hey?), is going to very generously show me how to line my knitted dress. Isn't that nice of her? We're going to try and fit the dress making demonstration into the couple of hours baby Nancy is having her nap.

But I'm straying from the reason I'm here today!

Susan's (my Mother-in-Law), Fair Isle Scarf!

I owe the inspiration for my fair isle endeavors entirely to Susan. It was Susan who got my attention with her free-style fair isle. In other words, using only pattern repeats from a book as guidance, no full written out pattern.

I'd been wanting to try fair isle knitting for a while before I saw Susan's knitting, but had been intimidated by the patterns, they look so complicated.

(Douglas always has to get in to photographs. He's a shy little doggy, but when the camera comes out, he suddenly wants to pose too).

Susan inspired me to try my hand at the old free style fair isle, and make my own scarf, (the reveal of which will have to wait for another time). For the moment, I want to concentrate on giving Susan's scarf the full photo-shoot, "look how beautiful it is" treatment.

It's just sooo gorgeous. And goes with my charity shop tweed jacket rather well don't you think? I'll be returning Susan's scarf to her with some reluctance, I have to admit.

It's a stunner isn't it?

Just love, love, love the colours. It seemed apropriate to the colours in the scarf to take these photos by the sea.

Which then turned into a flower child session, or that's what I started to feel like, a flower child.

I like going for walks and sticking flowers in my buttonholes.

Note the twiddle in my hair? That, I've found, is the perfect way to manage a fringe I'm growing out, just twiddle it, and there's no unsightly shortish/longish bits of fringe hair. Since doing this, I've noticed that I'm one of many people doing the twiddle, it must be fashionable.

I tried to persuade Hugo to let me put flowers in his curly locks, and take photos for you, but he was having none of it. Wouldn't have those photos been wonderful?

Then the dogs would have had to have chains of flowers on their small furry heads, and we could have been flowery-powery together, as a nice little flowery-powery family unit.

I'll just have to imagine those photos.

It's very tempting to copy Susan's colour scheme, and make a scarf for myself, to go with this jacket. We'll not only have matching winter boots (we have the same boots), but Susan is a fan of tweed, like me, and probably owns a similar tweed jacket. There's a potential great photo, me and Susan wearing matching clothes! Wonder what Hugo would think of that.

Well, I'm off to do some knitting. Tomorrow I'll be snatching a couple of hours off work and making the lining for my dress, which I shall of course try and document for your viewing pleasure. Till Wednesday then! Love Vanessa xxx

Comments

[Siobhan]

Beautiful photos - you look really in your element in those - very relaxed. What a lovely place, set off beautifully by your tweed jacket and scarf. They do go well together don't they? Definitely loving the flowery add-ons too! It would be a shame for anything to spoil your dress now after all your work; I hope your lining goes well - sounds like you will have excellent help putting it together. What a good thing Susan and her scarf started you off on. Hurray for Susan!

[Alice @ Crochet with Raymond]

what a gorgeous photoshoot! Until halfway through the post, I thought Susan had knitted the scarf for you! Perharps that it because it suits you so much!
Lovely post today, and can't wait to see the dress! XX

[Isabelle]

Hello Vanessa! Beautiful pictures again, I love your style! The whole outfit looks great on you. I must say I also love your sunglasses (where did you get them from if I may ask?) and your twiddle (and one new word for me today :o))
I think it is great that you have so much in common with your mother-in-law!
Isabelle xx

[christina wall]

I could print this post out and hang it up as a poster to gaze at whenever I'm ruffled and frustrated -- so lovely. What a bit of bliss you passed my way through this post! Thanks a million!

[Vintage Squirrel Katie]

Hi Vanessa - love the scarf, photos & location. It must be sooooooo difficult not to say to Susan, "Oooh, I'm SO sorry but Douglas pinched the scarf, wrestled it like a rabbit, ran along the cliff with it, let go and we had to watch it flutter, full of teeth holes into the North Sea BUT it's ok because Hugo rescued it, then I copied it and so you could borrow this one to make yourself another identical one".......?

[PosyLinda]

Aaah! I would return that scarf reluctantly too! What a beauty it is. Have fun V!!!!

[greenrabbitdesigns]

Really lovely colours in that scarf, I can see why you would want to hold on to it!! :)
Vivienne x

[Sandra]

Hi, i have some questions for you: how did you select the colours? Do you limit yourself to 10 or 12 or less?
I understand the different selection of Fair Isle that can be taken in books or else, but I would be intimidated by selecting the colours... Any hint?

[Pattygloria]

Hola Vanessa,
You crack me up on this post!Ha! :o)
I really enjoy everything that you said today.
Gloria xxx

[Charmaine]

Just watched Eat,Pray, Love and Julia Roberts does the twiddle in that movie too!!!

Scarf is beautiful but I am loving your jacket...

[Rae]

The pictures you took were beautiful & the scarf is gorgeous the colors play off one another so well I would love to learn Fair Isle someday.

[The Vintage Heart]

HI Vanessa, I love the tweed and fairisle combination, I have a passion for tweed ,some thing so traditional and reasuringly old fashioned about it! the scarf is yummy,your a talented family, also you have offered me asolution , i have been thinking of growing out my fringe but hate it in my eyes at "that" stage ,i shall give the twist a try, you could be starting atrend here in the north!!! Linda x x

[Magic Cochin]

What a great photo shoot - you should be getting a call from Country Living magazine any day ;-)

That jacket - it's lovely (I have jacket envy!). My Dad always wore a Harris Tweed jacket to go to work in. I loved the buttons - they were just like the ones on your jacket.

Celia
x

[Barbara]

Beautiful photo shoot ... Toast models you are not needed, stand back! and the scarf is in my very favorite shades and so sweet with that particular jacket, your Mother-in-Law sounds so friendly and kind ...

[Gill]

Well done Hugo!!!
I presume it was him behind the camera?? the photos are beautiful - you're so lucky to have such a fabulous mother-in-law (mine is dreadful!)
Gill xx

[Penelope-by-the-Sea]

How refreshing, you really are photogenic and as for all the colours how calm and stunning they are. I too am a flower in buttn hole or hair girl xox

[Carole]

Hi Vanessa,
Fab blog as ever. I too would love to make a fairisle scarf. Blimey i have enough of a yarn stash!!!
Still looking forward to the dress reveal, ha ha!
Take care
Love Carole from Rossendale xxxx

[Jennyff]

That scarf suits you so well, were you not tempted to leg it down the coast with it. Great photos, you are one stylish lady.

[Jenni at Baame Kniits]

Gorgeous Scarf! And the photos were a treat too! Love your style!! Looks like a lovely day by the beach :-)

Want to give us a tutorial on how to carry the yarn in a Fairisle knit???

[Laura]

The scarf is so beautiful - I have never thought to try "free style" fair isle! what an amazing concept! And I love the combination of blues and browns. Can't wait to see your scarf and your lined fair isle dress.

[alisonb2]

Love the colours. fair Isle is beautiful but with my higgledy piggledy tension it never quite makes the grade for me. But I can dream.....

[annies abode]

hi vanessa
i love these photos - great shoot.
that scarf is amazing - such a talented mil and how lovely that you are friends.
that jacket was a real find - you should make the scarf as it matches the jacket so well.
so glad we get to see dog piccies too!
still looking forward to seeing the dress.
anniex

[Planet Penny]

It IS a lovely scarf, but I am so in love with the tweed jacket! I've been toying with the idea of getting one this winter and now I'm sold! And very fashionable at the moment too. Can't wait to see the finished dress, it's going to be lovely and warm with the lining.

[Judi A.]

Love the flowers in the buttonholes and glad to see Queen Ann's Lace included - one of my most favorite. I purposely transplanted some on the hill behind our house and am hoping they spread. Covering it completely would suit me fine. :-)

That scarf is just so,so pretty! At first I thought it was your first effort, and then, like Alice, thought it was a gift from Susan. Nice of her to share it - maybe for a few years?! :-)

[Anna]

What a beautiful scarf! Can't wait to see yours. Fair isle fairly intimidates me. I will have to knit a few more years before I brave that world. In the meantime, I will just sit here and enjoy yours.

[Caren]

I'd love to try making a scarf along those lines. Is it doubled over so the wrong side is safely tucked away?

[Paulette]

Hi Vanessa! I popped over here from Linda's and I must say that scarf is just stunning...and this entire post is so adorable! I love your "twiddle" and the flowers you decorated your jacket with too!
What fun, fun, fun!! ;) Paulette

[frances]

Hello Vanessa. So many folks have already left the comments that were in my head after seeing this post.

Fair knitting is so much fun. I made one early vest totally from a Patricia Roberts pattern, and loved the result ... mixing some fine mohair in with the shetland wools.

After that, I went laissez-faire, freestyle, just mixing colors at will in both scarves and sweaters. I do get inspired by the traditional graphs of the geometric progressions ... I have an old Alice Starmore book that I think might now have been re-issued. Part of the fun, as you discovered with your dress, is just seeing what develops.

Love the wildflowers in your tweedy jacket's buttonholes. Would you ever use that inspiration to embroider on top of the tweed, so as to have flowers in winter months?

It's grand to visit here! xo

[Erica K]

Oh Vanessa, you look beautiful! Yes, that scarf suits that jacket extremely well... I'm going to have to copy you and Susan and start some of my own freestyle fair isle (it rhymes!)...someday.

You know I've worn my hair up in a quasi-bun at least 99% of the time for 15 years now! But if I were to wear it down I think the 'twiddle' would suit me well.

Hugo really should've let you mess with his hair. It couldn't be more perfect for flowers and other bits. He could start a new trend. ;D

[Lily McCool]

Hiya,

I have a question. I love knitting, I don't do much fair isle but I would love to get into it. Please can you let me know how you do the scarf because there doesn't seem to be any of the nasty back that shows all the cross overs of the different wools. Do you make too scarfs the same and stitch them together I can't imagine you do????

[cathleen]

You are gorgeous!

[Nike Air Max 2009]

I have to share your sentiments about sewing. I really want to

be able to sew, but so far the only things that come out good

are things that are square, ie: pillows, or quilts or linings

for purses. I tried a top...yeah not so much.

[Nike Shox TL3]

I'm totally blaming the baby for the fact that I got slightly weepy towards the end there. Blogs are, by their nature, very much me, me, me, and I like them that way. I like to

get to know the 'me' behind the blog - even when I know them IRL, because the blog is a different side to them. But it's also nice to find out more about the people behind the

'me'. And it can be moving, as it was here.

[Angie Byrne]

Love the scarf! Just a few questions: How do you work the edges that they don't curl inwards? Is the backing lined with fabric or not? My daughter {in London - I am in S Africa] loves it and I'd like to try my hand.