We're back with a new podcast episode about Fair Isle knitting! We show you our current and past knitting projects and share our thoughts on designing Fair Isle patterns and much more.
We’re back with a new podcast episode about Fair Isle knitting! We show you our current and past knitting projects and share our thoughts on designing Fair Isle patterns and much more. Also feel free to check out our first podcast episode where we talk about our historical knitting projects. We’ve created a blogpost for that as well.
Done & Delighted
Nany presents you her Tam O’ Shanter, a traditional Scottish headdress.
The design is the „Camomile Tam“ by Marie Wallin.
Unfortunately, the hat is a bit too small. Still, she learned a lot from it. For her, it was the perfect starter project to better learn the Fair Isle technique.
Clara knit the sweater “Skye” from the North Sea collection by Marie Wallin as a Christmas present for her mother. She only had 3 weeks to finish this sweater, at which she more or less succeeded. The sweater consists of a cable pattern in the sleeve area and the lower torso and is finished with a beautiful Fair Isle pattern in the collar area and the sleeve and top hem.
The yarn she used was Rowan’s “Felted Tweed”.
On the Bookshelf
“Knitting from Fair Isle” by Mati Ventrillon covers traditional Fair Isle knitting along with a small history section. The author presents many different knitting designs, which are available in several color variations. As an introduction to traditional patterns and designs, this book is highly recommended.
The book “A History of Hand Knitting” (not pictured) by Richard Rutt treats the history of hand knitting in a detailed manner. Traditional knitting techniques, such as those of the Shetland Islands, are also covered in this book.
Work in Progress
Nany is still working on her “Temperature Sweater”, which she already presented in the first podcast episode. This is a self-designed, Fair Isle-knit sweater whose background colour is based on the temperature of each day of 2021. She tells you about her inspiration, the cut of the sweater, and how she went about designing the pattern.
Clara is working on the “Unst” cardigan from Marie Wallin’s Shetland collection. This is a fair isle cardigan knit in pieces. Clara tells you about the hurdles she faced during the knitting process and the changes she made in the meantime.
As yarns, Clara used “Spindrift” from Jamieson’s of Shetland, as it was specified in the instructions. This is a rough and textured yarn made from 100% wool. The yarns consist of many fiber-dyed shades and are so beautiful to look at!
From the Archives
Clara knit a 40s sweater in 2021 that is covered in a lace and cable stitch pattern. The collar alone is knit in the Fair Isle pattern. She bought the knitting instructions from Retro Claude. Unfortunately, the yarn is a bit scratchy, but she still loves wearing it.