Traditional Fair Isle Knitting (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Well-known, definitive guide shows how any circular method knitting technique can yield the popular Fair Isle patterns. More than 70 pages of designs include patterns for mittens, jerseys, jackets, hats, and more. Practical advice on design and color provides endless variations and adaptations. 31 halftones and 17 color illustrations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (September 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 048643107X
• ISBN-13: 978-0486431079
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #123,347 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great historical book and supplement to other FI books, January 26, 2004

By	Beth Brown "[e-mail]" (Upstate New York) - See all my reviews

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!

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read for a good understanding of what Fair Isle knitting is, August 30, 2005

By	Ann Manes "lifelong knitter" (Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Fair Isle Work!, January 15, 2007

By	K. Torgerson (East Coast) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!