New skill for year

Fair Isle knitting is the new skill I want to learn this year and I hopped right to it after the gift knitting ended. These mittens are from one of my favorite books "Kristen Knits." As of now, I have just drooled over the pictures and read the book cover to cover. But now, I have knit something!! These are her dots and checks mittens and the pattern was very well-written. This a before blocking pic after blocking the Nashua Julia yarn blossomed and is very wonderfully soft.
I am now looking at all the fair isle patterns in my books and mags with new confidence. The year is potentially full of color!!
Oh, yeah, these are going to be a birthday present for my bestest friend! Not a secret, she knows!