Colour Work of Fair-Isle

I remember learning to knit from my grandmother. Mum could knit, but it was my father’s mother that first taught me.

I had already been crocheting up a storm, and made a whole ensemble to wear to my brother’s graduation when I was 10ish. Sadly the only photo does not show much of me, as my brother was 11 years older and 6’3”, and it was his graduation after all.

Back on track to knitting. I dabbled a little, then mum bought a knitting machine. This was very cool, and hand knitting seemed a bit slow, but I still managed to improve my hand knitting and combine some machine and hand knitting together. Machine knitting will be a whole other story one day here.

My favourite type of knitting would be ‘stranded colour work’ or more commonly referred to as ‘Fair-isle’. So I will start with these patterns.

As one would guess the term ‘Fair-isles’ comes from the Island of the same name in Scotland, and is an island of the Shetland group.

The patterns used, are quite unique, and are worked for the length of the garment. Repeated in bands of various motifs of star and cross designs. Some of these designs are said to be influenced by the wrecking of a Spanish ship in the 1500s. These motifs have names, including; ‘Armada Cross’, ‘Star of Bethlehem’ and ‘The Sacred Heart’. I also read that grandmothers would knit jumpers for their grandsons with other patterns to represent adolesces, such as ‘Seed of life’ & ‘Anchor of Hope’.

Many knitters are a little scared to tackle colour-work. The knit rows are easier to follow than the purl, so try a pattern worked in rounds first, and then all rows are in the knit stitch. Also, when knitted, the work is a little ‘bubbled’. As long as the colours, not in use, are carried loosely across the back, these bubbles will flattened when ‘Blocking’.

‘Blocking’ is not so common these days, so a good topic for another day. Meanwhile here are some inspiring ‘Fair-isle’ knits.