Thursday, October 2, 2008

Peerie Post

That's "Little" Post to you. I'm pretty sure this local word will be in my vocabulary after 3 months in Shetland. All the ladies at my Fair-isle knitting class last night were using it constantly along with lots of other Shetland dialect that I had to re-tune my ears to in order to understand the conversation!

Despite feeling a little overwhelmed as I watched folks strap on their knitting belts and proceed to cast on in a way I've never seen before I did manage to accomplish a peerie amount of colour work! I also tried knitting with 3 dpn's (two to hold sts and the 3rd as the working needle). This seemed to be common place with the other knitters.....have any of you done it this way before?

I also attempted holding both colours in my right-hand....not very successfully...will need to practice that one! Despite being pretty slow I was pretty happy with my tension.

Now I need to decide what I want my fair-isle project to be and gather my supplies for next week.....I'll also take along my belt and finally get some experience using it.....I'm sure to be a true Shetland knitter by the end of the 10 weeks!

Oh....and the teacher taught my older brother and sister knitting 30 years ago in the wee school here in Sandness. All these years later my two kids are also getting knitting lessons in the very same room as their aunt and uncle!

As promised more scenery from my various windswept walks!


The seals in the bay by my parents house are very friendly and curious....they all came to watch me as I sat on the beach!

Oh yes I need to amend something from my last post...Twites are not swallow-like......apprently I mis-heard my dad......sparrow-like is what he said.....doesn't quite fit with the Swallow Tail Shawl after all....oh well I never was very good with remembering bird names!

Not such a peerie post after all!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

my heart aches for this place, but i do not know why.

mary jane said...

You've got to tape some of the dialect! I love your peerie bit of knitting. I hold both colors in my left hand draped over my index finger and I "pick" them. Loving these posts.

marit said...

How nice to see your peerie post;-)
I haven't knitted with 3 needles like that, I've tried, but it gets too "stiff" if you know what I mean. But I always carry both(or all) colours in fair isle in my left hand,"woven" over and under my fingers to keep them tight, and always lying in the same order.
ps. I just knitted your Crofter's cowl, and made a hat to go with it. There's a photo on my blog. Great pattern, thanks!

Poethead said...

I am smitten with your visit, and the pictures! I love the story of the knitting group last night, and yes, I have tried knitting with three double points--by mistake! It's not easy. I so look forward to your next post, and I hope you include more and more about the people. Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

I'm so jealous of your fair isle class! Two of my aunts spent several months studying knitting in Shetland years ago and I've always been envious.

Anonymous said...

Arggh I need to change my google details - secret was me!

Anonymous said...

The pictures are wonderful, they make me want to see the place with my own eyes.
I have knit with 3 needles, and with more. I have done this since I was a kid so I don´t find it difficuld. As far as the yarn, I always hold all yarn in my left hand...

Lori said...

Ahhh...you're back at the designing again. That's a very good sign---being in touch with your roots and family must be a healthy remedy. I'm enjoying the photos and stories.

We have rain and gray skies today!!Things are turning around in Fresno.

raining sheep said...

That beginning of your fair isle is looking pretty good. The method sounds hard...but then it was hard for me to learn how to knit with both hands using two colors. The pictures are pretty amazing. The scenery looks so soulful.