What Is Fair Isle Knitting?

In 2022, I moved to Scotland. I worked in the capital of the Shetland Islands, and then in Fair Isle, where I personally observed consistent attributes to locals’ Fair Isle knitting. These attributes set apart Fair Isle knitting in the Shetland Islands from other regional knitting styles of stranded colorwork rooted in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and elsewhere. 

Fair Isle knitting is a classification unto itself. My definition of “authentic” Fair Isle knitting is based on my years of textile history research and practice, as well as many insightful discussions I enjoyed with local Shetland and Fair Isle knitters. I define Fair Isle knitting as stranded colorwork that includes the following characteristics.

• 100% Shetland wool must be used.
• There are two wool colors maximum per row.
• Designs are interpretations of historic Fair Isle patterns or arrangements.
• Motifs are often symmetrical, geometric, repetitive.
• Unused wool is carried at the back of the fabric, with short floats, often not “caught.”
• Wool selection relies on the play between light and dark contrasting colors.
• Hand knit Fair Isle is generally knit circularly or “in the round” to produce a seamless garment.
• Only knit stitches are utilized for colorwork, without purling.
  

Click here to read more about the definition of Fair Isle knitting.