Customer Reviews

Traditional Fair Isle Knitting (Dover Knitting, Crochet, Tatting, Lace)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great older reprint for Fair Isle knitters. There seems to be more historical detail than some of the other fair isle books (Starmore and Feitelson).
Also included are hundreds of fair isle stitch patterns for designing your own sweater. The only drawback to the stitches is the lack of color (the patterns are black and white only). So the color aspect of fair isle knitting is not as fully explored here. Overall, a great deal of information for the price!

If you are a fairly experienced knitter and can create the garment basics (i.e. figure your gauge and cast on accordingly), it is indispensible. If you need a pattern with directions (e.g. cast on x number of stitches on size y needles), this book does not supply that. It gives guidelines for garments, just not full patterns. What it does supply is a fabulous history of this knitting art form, explanations of how it developed and how it was used. Lots of great pictures. The third part of the book is dedicated to patterns in graph form, which is just the way I like it, personally. I've enjoyed browsing through it and putting my creativity to the challenge of creating what I want to make. If it ever gets cold down here in Texas, that vest made of Harris tweed wool will be great. Luckily, I knit for the knitting more than for the finished product.

Sheila McGregor is a knitting goddess! I would NOT recommend this for a beginning knitter.. there are no direct patterns for sweaters, but the charts are numerous and authentic! just make sure you count the number of stitches in each repeat! this is a must have for any color knitter bored with the usual patterns out there!

Sheila McGregor has a passion for documenting Traditional knitting patterns. However, she doesn't stop with what has gone before, but also shows how Fair Isle knitters are continuing their innovations. There is a friendly rivalry among the knitters to not repeat a previous pattern, but to embellish & mess about with what one did last year.
The history of how the countries on the North Sea, & farther East, interacted one with the other, is rich & fascinating.
I would not buy this if I wanted to just make a sweater. But, if I was comfortable with a specific sweater style, & wanted to use the stranded colour knitting of Fair Isle & her neighbours, I'd buy it in a heartbeat! I did!

This is essential for anyone interested in Fair isle knitting. The most comprehensive set of patternes I have ever seen.

Very pleased with the content: history and patterns. Great addition to my knitting library.

If you love Fair Isle you NEED this book. My non knitting friends love this one! They think I'm so clever because I can knit some of these (some are way too complicated, but I'm working on them!). I try to be modest about it but some are just so easy to follow it is crazy that they turn out as well as they do! Fun book just to look at the pictures even if you never knit a thing from it!!

I love this book. I am adding fair Isle to hats in my favorite pattern found on Ravelry. Fair Isle is easy to incorporate in a plain stocking knit item. This book is great for ideas. Nice quality book too!

Love this book. Rich Fair Isle charts. A great reference book that should be in the library of any serious knitter/designer.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. The history lesson was interesting and the instructions are clear. I prefer to knit in this manner, but my color choices do not copy the book. I have created my own combinations in color and designs to suit my hair and skin coloring. This is a very informative book. This is great reading material over a cup of tea and a couple of scones for effect.