![]() ![]() One is that a Spanish ship was wrecked off Fair Isle in 1588 and the sailors that survived passed on their skills and motifs which had a distinctly Moorish feel to them. There are lots of different theories about how the islanders learned to knit in this way. Today, Fair Isle describes the traditional technique of knitting with colour on the island of Fair Isle and throughout the Shetland archipelago.Ībove, early Arabic sock dating from around 1000 CE & woolen golf jumper from Shetland Islands from 1920's. In Mary Thomas’s Knitting Book, she references a piece of Arabian knitting as old as the 7th century that is in the Leicester Museum, although her book was first published in 1938 and we haven’t been able to track the item down.ĭuring the Middle Ages ornate motifs using expensive dyed silks were stranded with silver-gilt to demonstrate the high status of the wearer. The sock, found in Egypt, dates all the way back to the 12th century.īut other clues we have suggest Fair Isle has been around a lot longer than that…. The Victoria and Albert Museum has an intriguing early example of a cotton sock made using stranded knitting. We ask Juliet Bernard, the founding editor of The Knitter, a few more questions.Ĭan you tell us a little more about the history of Fair Isle? How to knit stranded Fair Isle Materialsįinal thought, where did Fair Isle originate? ![]() Fair Isle can be knitted in panels that you can sew together to make your garment, or knitted in the round in one continuous piece. If you're working with a project that uses fair isle you might find a knitting chart in the pattern by the designer to help guide you. Some designs are very traditional, but you will also see a growing number of patterns that take a more contemporary graphic approach to raise this technique to the next level. The basic principle is to create motifs by alternating two or sometimes three colours of yarn in each row. So what is Fair Isle knitting?įair Isle (often known as stranded knitting) is a wonderful colour technique with a rich heritage going back hundreds of years. Whether you're going for a modern twist or keeping rustic, we've got the basics covered, from stranded Fair Isle knitting instructions to lovely Fair Isle hat and free mug cosy pattern by Juliet Bernard. Get ready to make alpine-style sweaters, asymmetrical accessories and beautiful homeware in this iconic style. ![]() New selection may affect price, shipping options and product availabilityĪs one of the most loved traditional knitting techniques, Fair Isle creates captivating knitwear using multiple colours in a repeated design. ![]()
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