I've decided to knit Ann Feitelson's "Hillswick Lumber," a sweater I've had on my to-do-someday list since I bought her book "The Art of Far Isle Knitting" some years ago. The price of authentic Shetland yarns has kept me from knitting any Fair Isle sweaters, as I really couldn't bring myself to spend upwards of $200 on one sweater. My husband started a new job in February, for which we are very thankful, but as his company laid-off a few people just last month and everyone else had to take a pay cut, now was not the time to be placing an order for a sweater's worth of Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift.Although I'm sure there are some folks who would disagree, I decided to order Knit Pick's Palette yarn for my sweater. My in-laws sent me some money for my birthday last month. I initially thought I'd spend it on something other than yarn, but that didn't happen!
I don't have a color card for Palette, but I do have a color card for Jamieson's yarns. Using that, a Jamieson & Smith-to-Jamieson's conversion chart, pictures on Ravelry of other Hillswick Lumbers, and comparing what Palette balls I already have to pictures Knit Picks has online and in their printed catalog, I ordered the colors I thought would best match what the pattern calls for. (I found the photos in the catalog to be the most accurate.) Palette didn't come in the blue-violet I needed, so I ordered 2 skeins of Jamieson's purple (#610). So far the yarns are playing well together!
I've gotten through the ribbing and have finished the first repeat of the first pattern. I'm quite pleased with it so far! The colors are much brighter than the photo in the book, but seem to be in-line with photos I've seen on Ravelry, and with photos Ms. Feitelson shows of parts of this sweater in examples throughout her book.
Maybe Palette will not be as hard-wearing as true Shetland yarn would be and maybe it will pill. It remains to be seen. Someday I'll get to knit a Fair Isle out of real Shetland yarns, but for now I'll be content to drool over my color card, hopefully while finally wearing my first Fair Isle that cost me less than $70!
7 comments:
It looks gorgeous, Nancy. How close your colours come to the original, I don't know, but they look wonderful together.
Thanks, Marina! That means alot coming from you!
Looks great, Nancy! I love the colors.
I felted some white Palette last fall - scrubbed the heck out of it to make some of those cute Knit Picks snowmen. No pilling at all. Hopefully the rest of the colors will do as well.
geekette
It's looking really nice! I have seen several nice Fair Isle sweaters done in KnitPicks Palette--nothing to be ashamed of. And the Shetland yarns DO pill!
Thanks, Janine! I'm very happy with it so far. Lots of fun to knit. I'm already collecting all the other colors of Palette, a little at a time, so that I can possibly design my own this fall. I can't wait to see what new Palette colors Knit Picks comes out with this fall. They're supposed to have 80 total by that time. (I just wish they'd stop getting rid of colors so often.)
Hey Nancy! Checked the SSS thread for the first time in ages and found your post. The sweater looks beautiful....I can't wait to see more - now that I have your blog addy!
Hi, Nancy. I just stumbled across your blog as I am looking to use Palette on the Hillswick Lumber as well. Can you please share with me which Palette colors you used? I am having trouble coming up with a match for the two turquoises, the blue violet, the light red-violet, olive green, dull yellow-green and emerald green. I intend to use Ivy and Navy and maybe Majestic for the purple. Any guidance you can give me would be so appreciated. This will be my first all over design and I hesitate to spring for the J&S yarn due to the price and also Knitpicks has a sale on right now. Thank you in advance.
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