Fair Isle Knitting: a Practical Handbook of Traditional Designs [Paperback]

Sarah Don (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 1984

Boasting geometric patterns and rich, natural colors, the knits of Fair Isle have roots in the fashions of Viking invaders, Norwegian immigrants, and Spanish sailors. Don starts with samples and charts for 28 traditional designs and then moves on to simple instructions for 13 authentic garments, including jumpers, pullovers, and scarves.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (September 27, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0713524480
• ISBN-13: 978-0713524482
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,294,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensible, May 13, 2003

By 

Michelle Ciccariello - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fair Isle Knitting: Practical Handbook of Traditional Designs (Paperback)

Hopefully some company like Dover will reprint this book!

With 25 pages full of pattern charts in the "Samples" chapter and approximately 120 more charted patterns scattered throughout the instructions for garments, this book is a must-have reference for anyone who is working with colors.

Among the patterns, you'll find everything from little "peeries" to big patterns and patterns that incorporate a decrease (the kind used on yokes and tams).

The charts are all in black-and-white, with symbols representing the various colors. This is HUGELY important for two reasons: the biggest is that you can sub in your own color scheme with no confusion (this is so critical when you are reversing lights and darks!), and the other is that they photocopy beautifully, so you can tuck a copy of the one you are working right in with your wool and needles for quick reference on the road.

The "samples" chapter patterns each have a grayscale photo of a swatch. This is very helpful. In the garments section, you get the following for each and every garment:

* grayscale photo of the garment
* color photo of the garment
* black-and-white chart for each pattern used
* grayscale photo of a swatch for each charted pattern
* color photo of a swatch for each charted pattern
* instructions for making the garment

The grayscale photos are very helpful when you are trying to identify contrast and intensity levels to decide which colors to substitute if you are using different yarn or a different color scheme.

This book is an absolute necessity. If you can't find a used one, sign one out of your library. It is deceivingly thin (124 pages), but designed like the engine compartment of a jaguar: no "useless clutter" here... just jam-packed with highest-quality parts!

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great starting point, December 7, 2007

By 

count the skies (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fair Isle Knitting (Dover Knitting, Crochet, Tatting, Lace) (Paperback)

I did buy this book based on the previous review and I have to agree with most of the points - the black and white samples are a great help and there are TON of stitch patterns in here..which I've used for several different garments with ease.

My only complaint may come from the age of the book. I knitted the Child's Zip-Neck Sweater and in the pattern it asks you to divide for front and back and work back and forth. Traditional fair isle is done completely in the round..I believe this back and forth where you purl continental is called 'stranded colorwork' and is not traditional fair isle. I ended up adding a few stitches and steeking for the sleeves - much more than I expected when I flipped through and started this pattern.

Otherwise, a great resource and I've found much more use out of taking the samples and incorporating them into other garments than I have using the patterns included.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Fair Isle Knitters!, May 4, 2009

By 

Linda Bourn "Bluebead" (canyon, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fair Isle Knitting (Dover Knitting, Crochet, Tatting, Lace) (Paperback)

If you are a Fair Isle Knitter, you will love this book. It has a huge selection of charts and examples to let you see what a pattern will look like when it's made up in a sweater. The patterns are very clear and easy to follow and I thought the color symbols made it easy to substitute or change to your own colors if desired. I would recommend this book to any knitter with a minimum of experience and if you haven't tried fair isle, you are in for a real treat!