Fair isle experiments – alessandrina.com

I am lagging in completing several blog posts.
While sorting my thoughts, illustrations, and wording of how-tos for those, I am enjoying the immediacy, clarity, and sometimes surprises of single-bed fair-isle knitting of some of the repeats shared in my published but not knit-tested collections.
This post is another “work in progress”, growing over time.
A reminder: the PNGs here are published as indexed BW, but when copied, will often convert and save in RGB Mode. Test and convert them back to BW before using them for download to machines. Not doing so can result in some interesting glitches with the appearance of errors in preselection.
Beginning with a 12X12 design, where symmetry is not the goal, rotating/repeating the file for a 24X24 repeat knit as DBJ on an electronic model due to the anticipated long floats. 34X30 knit double width and height 16X38 18X16 a previously shared cousin, 30X30. I have long been intrigued by the complexity of the hand-knit fox paw patterns. Published HK directions may be found in Xandy Peters’ blog.
These two shares are the very simplified versions of the inspiration sources.
The concepts were tested as fair isle; there are problematic long floats, reduced in number in the second variation.
A color-inverted image of the original PNG drawn in repeat could be used to fill areas with multiple colors, with the intent of possibly producing the results in DBJ after the supplemental software has performed the necessary color separation.
24X80
visualizing multiple color DBJ options using a coloring book approach24X82, far fewer problem floats 28X28, some floats wider than the usual recommended max of 5 stitch width, knit in all rayon, space dyed yarn pools unpredictably 30X30
24X34, untested 38X20 38X62
48X48
48X48 54X54tested on 82 stitches with programmed PNG 82X54, the digitally color-inverted knit image compared with the original. After the share, I noticed there appeared to be a pattern error in the center tile. Comparing the knit to the programmed repeat, the PNG appears correct.A different day, different yarns, the same programmed repeat, an error-free sample.Perhaps misselection in the initial swatch can be attributed to yarn tension/ feeding issues, static, or simply an unknown patterning crankiness.
Black and white pixels to black and white knit stitches:
larger patchwork, 64X64 Blocks and lines can create movement and at times optical illusions. Strong verticals may separate slightly at edges, and slippery yarns ie, chenilles and rayons, may worm and distort stitch shapes. DBJ is generally more stable, but with a different appearance.
Several added designs with repeating blocks in various sizes may be found in the posts:
A collection of geometric design blocks built with squares, rectangles, and lines
Developing tiled repeats suitable for multiple stitch types, including tuck
32X32 52X48 a 28X30 single repeat 60X30 testing the addition of pixels to form alternating wider bands of vertical patterning 62X62 186X186
test knit single repeat the tiled image can be cropped to change the focus of the design 46X46 184X18492X92 test knit64X64 192X192
a full single knit repeatBack to using color, 38X34