Fair isle little lamb baby blanket

[ammagra]

I'm considering making a little lamb baby blanket with 15 squares of different lambs & each lamb has about 3-4 different brown/beige/black/white colors incorporated in with yarn.

My problem is I don't have a clue about how to bring each color into the square and then how the back looks. The on-line tutorials about Fair isle knitting only show 2 colors & I don't know where to start and also if the back always has big loops from one color to another.

I'm not a very experienced knitter, so maybe this is over my head.

Thanks so much to anyone out there who can give me some advice.
Linda

[salmonmac]

You can use many colors in the project but Fair Isle typically uses two colors in a row. You can use more than two but you always have to carry those strands along the row and that can be bulky. I've always lined Fair Isle blankets so that the loopy side doesn't show and won't catch on anything.
Try a practice square with some scrap yarn in different colors to test your idea and see what some of the problems may be. Good luck with the blanket!

[Ingrid]

Check the pattern directions or charts. You usually use 2 colors per row, or if there are more, they shouldn't need to be carried more than a few stitches. Few stranded patterns will have you work too many colors per row.

It's possible that the pattern is worked intarsia style. You can make some beautiful patterns. Amy has video on changing colors for this technique.

Honestly, though, either way is going to leave a messy back. You'd have to line it, or you could make two squares of each lamb and make a double-thick blanket by sewing them back to back. Or make just colored blocks for the back without the lambs.

[ammagra]

You can use many colors in the project but Fair Isle typically uses two colors in a row. You can use more than two but you always have to carry those strands along the row and that can be bulky. I've always lined Fair Isle blankets so that the loopy side doesn't show and won't catch on anything.
Try a practice square with some scrap yarn in different colors to test your idea and see what some of the problems may be. Good luck with the blanket!

Thank you Ingrid!

[ammagra]

You can use many colors in the project but Fair Isle typically uses two colors in a row. You can use more than two but you always have to carry those strands along the row and that can be bulky. I've always lined Fair Isle blankets so that the loopy side doesn't show and won't catch on anything.
Try a practice square with some scrap yarn in different colors to test your idea and see what some of the problems may be. Good luck with the blanket!

Thanks so much!

[ammagra]

Check the pattern directions or charts. You usually use 2 colors per row, or if there are more, they shouldn't need to be carried more than a few stitches. Few stranded patterns will have you work too many colors per row.

It's possible that the pattern is worked intarsia style. You can make some beautiful patterns. Amy has video on changing colors for this technique.

Honestly, though, either way is going to leave a messy back. You'd have to line it, or you could make two squares of each lamb and make a double-thick blanket by sewing them back to back. Or make just colored blocks for the back without the lambs.

I appreciate your ideas....thanks!

[knitcindy]

After you've sewed all the squares together, maybe you could line the back with a big piece of fleece?!?!? Buy a piece about 1 or 2 inches larger than your finished afghan. Then either turn all the edges inward to make a smooth edge or just leave it with the cut edge showing. Then sew it to the back of your afghan!!

Hand-knit on 1 side and the fleece on the other side!
knitcindy