200 Fair Isle Motifs: A Knitter's Directory [Paperback]

Mary Jane Mucklestone (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 29, 2011

The comprehensive guide to Fair Isle knitting motifs

The mysteries of Fair Isle are revealed! 200 Fair Isle Motifs offers simple solutions to the seemingly complex technique of stranded colorwork. From simple single row patterns to complex all-over motifs, you’ll find colorways that will thrill and inspire your knitting, whether you’re a beginner or experienced knitter.

By using the easy-to-read charts, columns to illustrate color changes, and clear photographs of each sample swatch, you’ll find yourself creating beautiful Fair Isle designs in no time. Organized by row count and stitch count, 200 Fair Isle Motifs makes it easy for you to find the perfect motif for your projects.

Confidently infuse colorwork into your knitting with 200 Fair Isle Motifs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you've been knitting for years but have never attempted Fair Isle, this is a great way to spice up your work. There are so many possible color combinations, you can create a custom garment for every season."- AllFreeKnitting.com

"If Alice [Starmore] is the queen, I suspect Mary Jane is the princess of Fair Isle knitting. I love her color sense." – Knitting at Large

"Fab book!" – Knit Today

About the Author

Mary Jane Mucklestone is a hand knitting designer who likes the process of knitting as much as the end product that she creates. She is known for her colorful and inventive Fair Isle and colorwork designs featured in Interweave Knits, Twist Collective, Classic Elite Yarns, Alchemy Yarns, St. Denis Magazine and an assortment of books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Interweave Press (November 29, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781596684379
• ISBN-13: 978-1596684379
• ASIN: 1596684372
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Reference
  • #99 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Needlecrafts & Textile Crafts > Knitting

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Directory of 200 Fair Isle Patterns November 17, 2011

By Bonnie Brody TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love to knit Fair Isle patterns and often have the urge to incorporate some Fair Isle motifs into mostly solid projects that I am making. These include hats, sweaters, afghans and the like. This book is perfect for incorporating Fair Isle into your knitting patterns or developing a pattern of your own using one of the 200 motifs from this knitting directory. It is a wellstone of pattern possibilities. The author describes the book as "a knitter's directory of 200 Fair Isle motifs". Is is, in essence, an encyclopedic dictionary of most of the motifs you can imagine in the Fair Isle tradition.

"The directory is organized by row and stitch count. It includes a stunning, actual-size photograph, a black and white chart, a color chart, a color variation chart, and a suggested all-over repeat chart for each of the 200 motifs." There is a section on Essential Skills for Fair Isle knitting. For the purist, there is no substitute for Shetland wool. However, the author concedes that baby and sock yarns, Norwegian yarn, Icelandic wool, mohair, cotton, variegated and novelty yarns can all be used to create Fair Isle. The section on gauge stresses the importance of knowing gauge before starting the project. We all know this to be true but even I have knitted sweaters big enough to fit the whole state of Iowa into because I was lazy about gauge. There is a nice section about casting on and another about circular knitting. The author has a page on how to hold the yarn and another page on stranding. There is a section on weaving and one on increasing and decreasing. Steeking, a process that has always scared me, is covered as well. Color theory is addressed which is very helpful because the multi-colored basis of Fair Isle depends on color harmonies and choice. The author addresses design principles and ways to plan a project.

Excitedly, I turned to the section on Motif Selector and was gaga. There are so many motifs and so many beautiful ones. Each motif is shown in multi-colored possibilities. The photographs are close-up and beautiful. Interweave Press and Mary Jane Mucklestone have outdone themselves with this book, a resource any Fair Isle knitter (or knitter-to-be) can not do without. It is superb.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amateur Knitter Adores This Book November 23, 2011

By S. Evans

Format:Paperback

Every knitter should own this book! I highly reccomend it to anyone who knits - at any level of ability. The pictures alone are inspiring and the range of patterns from easy to complex make Fair Isle and colour-work approachable.

I'm not an accomplished Fair Isle knitter - colour doesn't come easily to me and sweaters are still daunting. I know how to knit so I don't need general instructions. It's the colour samples and the thoroughness of MaryJane Mucklestone's presentation that make this book a canon. She has managed to make Fair Isle feel doable - breaking down the patterns into a series of patterns - each of which is beautifully presented and charted.

I always look for MaryJane Mucklestone's work because of her consistently engaging take on tradition and design. I've been following her knitting design/colour work and Fair Isle in particular, for some time. She brings a lilt - an almost Sixties whimsy to solid traditional techniques and designs. Recently she's been writing/photographing wonderful South American and Andean knitting. Her photo documentation is excellent - she clearly knows how to style and I love the frequent hints at the settings of her own life and travels. I learn something every single time I sit down and follow one of her posts or articles. In this book, she's done it again.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have Reference November 19, 2011

By Megan Ellinger VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This Fair Isle reference goes beyond so many of its predecessors because of the vivid close-up photography and information on color knitting.

The motifs range from very basic (2-3 stitch repeats over 1-2 rows) to the most advance OXO style motifs (which include color suggestions as well as potential companion motifs). Each motif shows a basic chart, a closeup photo of the motif worked in knitting (in full color!) and some also offer repeat pattern charts for a larger/all over effect.

The book also includes some information on two-color knitting with information on circular knitting, how to fix mistakes, joining pieces and steeking. I would not call this a comprehensive reference because, while the photographs are excellent, they are only a page or so on each technique. If I were working my first steek, I would want more details.

This, along with a good sweater design reference (for sizing, potential sweater shapes, etc) is a must-have for a knitter who is reader to begin working with color.