Did I manage to finish the holiday knitting project to show you? No. Did I manage to start not one but two new knitting projects? Yes. Am I planning to use at least one of these new projects for holiday gifts even though I vowed to myself NOT to do any holiday knitting this year? You betcha.
Today's photos show two less than successful projects. This boring blah yarn started out as a beautiful brown merino top with blue and gold accents. Unfortunately it turned out to be nothing special after spinning it up. Still it is quite soft and I have enough to knit a quick hat for the mission.
Now for the really unsuccessful project. You may need to protect your eyes somehow. Here is the attempt at the Fair Isle mittens from Folk Mittens. I once read that Kaffe Fassett said that if you have a color scheme that isn't working, you should add more colors. I think this is proof that this isn't always the case. This would be a better color scheme with fewer colors.
I read in a Nancy Shroyer book on choosing Fair Isle colors to choose three color schemes. First you have your background colors, then the first group of contrast colors, then the second group of contrast colors. I actually did this but still I have this abomination.
I do promise to show you better color knitting projects the rest of this week. There should be some serious knitting time tonight with a 2 hour tv show about Rameses the Great (we just happen to be studying him in our Teaching Company Egyptian Pharoah's class) and another 2 hour show on Ben Franklin. (Yes, I did break down and turn back on the tv satellite service. I just couldn't survive any longer without the Food Network.)