Ahem. Let’s move away from the sock monkeys, ever so briefly, and start talking about knitting again. I wanted to show you some photographs of one of my favorite Fair Isle sweaters: Henry VIII, designed by Alice Starmore. I realized that I don’t have a good “distant” photograph of it that shows the whole sweater and I just can’t hobble up the stairs again to find the sweater, lay it out, and take another photograph. Instead, I’ll post these photographs of her slightly reworked version of the design.
If you own the book Tudor Roses, and feel adventurous, you can purchase this as a kit at Virtual Yarns. She and her daughter Jade have many other lovely designs available there as well.
Anyway, I knit this sweater for my husband. Fortunately, I can wear this one too — it’s somewhat “big” for me but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.
Here is a detail of the neck:
Here is a closeup of the main part of the pattern:
Finally, because you know how much I like to look at the inside, here is the reversed stranded design:
I always have at least one Starmore project going. (Right now, including ones that have been “aging” a bit, I have four on the needles.) The most current one, which I expect to get back to very shortly, is Rosarie, which was designed by Jade Starmore. Although I don’t usually go for vests, I really loved this bold design and just had to work on it.
I haven’t had a chance to do to much knitting on it. Here is my one photo in progress.
This Fair Isle has only 5 colors in it, whereas there are fourteen in the original version of Henry VIII. (I haven’t checked on how many there are in her revised version.)
From Susan — it’s amazing how much color is going on with just five colors. It’s very nice!
Comment by surly — September 2, 2006 @ 2:13 pm
The checkerboard bottom edge of the vest is especially beautiful. Is the vest knit in the round and then cut? Yipes. It seems so shocking to read – CUT down the middle.
Wow!
Comment by Wendy in VA — September 2, 2006 @ 2:54 pm
I like that. It’s gorgeous! Call be a busybody but what are the other three?
Comment by Marina — September 2, 2006 @ 3:48 pm
I love the Henry VIII sweater. I have a .jpg of it on my computer so I can look at it occasionally to remind me that there IS a reason to learn to do fair isle… someday.
Comment by kmkat — September 2, 2006 @ 4:22 pm
Beautiful work Sally, love your color choices. I believe someone had entered that vest in the MN State Fair. Jeff & I went last night and I think I saw it hanging in the Arts Building along with all of Susan’s “beauties” and Laura’s wonderful picture. However I could not find the monkeys to show Jeff – must have been feeding time.
Comment by viclin — September 3, 2006 @ 1:35 pm
From Susan to viclin (aka Linda from Thursdays at Four): Glad you got to the fair — I went again on Friday afternoon for a couple of hours with a friend. The sock monkey dresses are in a large glass case between the knitting and the baking, kind of in the middle of the building.
Comment by surly — September 3, 2006 @ 2:07 pm
From Susan in reply to Wendy: yes, you knit 99.9% of fair isle in the round and then cut (the remaining 0.1% is just WRONG!). It is not as traumatic as it seems! It would be far more traumatic to knit it back and forth in rows. 🙂
Comment by surly — September 3, 2006 @ 2:10 pm
I’ll confess to the other Starmore sweaters that are on the needles in a later blog.
Comment by surly — September 3, 2006 @ 3:32 pm
Hi Sally: The Henry VIII sweater shown pictured on your website looks like different colors from those in the book “Tudor Roses” – are they? I like the colors on your website much better. If the colors are different, do you know exactly what colors were used in the sweater on your website? I went to the Virtual Yarns website, and the kit is over $200! Does this kit come with women’s sizes, or can you use the smaller man’s size in the Tudor Roses book? Where did you get your yarn to do the sweater, or did you get it from VY? I was hoping for something a little more economical. thanks! Gwen
Comment by Gwen Arthur — April 20, 2008 @ 8:08 pm