Needlecraft - Knit, 5 Folksy Fair Isles

Free patterns for all 5 garments | read further for link(s) under each image

Time to reinvent the traditional, old-time styles for bright, contemporary counterparts that will have you reaching for your needles this winter. Fair Isle knits are definitely on our fashion radar right now. Traditional Scottish pattern - multicolored bands of geometric shapes rendered in sizzling colors. The cardigan and pullover styles in sophisticated color palettes and modern silhouettes have a more bohemian flavor, definitely what's in-store these days. So check out the 5 colorful picks that made the cut!. Look for helpful videos which show easy techniques for knitting fair isle bands with 2 colors and how to deal with long floats. From classic double knitting to worsted yarn weights, there are five easy pieces to consider for your wardrobe.

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Needlecrafts - Knit, Fair Isle Hats

Inspiration images above | Pinterest

What is Fair isle Knitting you ask? Well according to a quick Google search,
"Fair Isle is a traditional knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colors. It is named after Fair Isle, a tiny island in the north of Scotland, that forms part of the Shetland islands."
The number and variety of traditional Fair Isle patterns provides a lifetime’s worth of inspiration.
Work them up in the traditional manner or play with color, arrangement, and scale to make them more contemporary or more your own.
Or start from scratch, using graph paper and colored pencils or markers to design your own motifs.
Read further for ideal free patterns for the beginner, more traditional free patterns and vintage patterns to buy and inspire you to knit in a more colorful way!

Maple leaf motif hat pattern | pattern available for purchase here

While hunting for fair isle hat patterns, these lovely bands of maple leaves instantly caught my eye, definitely very Canadian.
Even the beautiful fall colors used in this design were cottage country perfect. So, for all you fellow Canadian knitters, here's a hat that you can make as a stocking cap or shorten the amount of rows into a loose, slouchy style.

Read further for free hat patterns, ideal for introducing knitters to colorwork and more challenging patterns for those who enjoy stranding.
Helpful videos explain different methods of joining color and introductory steps to two color and three color stranding.

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Needlecrafts - Knit, Stripes of Color

Plumo | garment available for purchase here

There are certain styles and patterns that jump out at us when we see them. This is definitely one of those designs. The moment I laid eyes on it, I knew this was a project I would be knitting.
No buttoning brings comfort foremost, just easy wrapping of the wide shawl collar makes it deliciously cosy for the fall season.
Fair isle banding up the shawl collar provides interest, giving you the opportunity to practise colorwork, go crazy with mismatched designs or more sensibly with matching sides.
Any shawl collared design can be easily modified to achieve this look. Widening the "collar" at the front by actually adding stitches to the fronts or just patterning the actual shawl area.
Several free patterns and suggestions given below give you an idea of how to accomplish this.
Weight of yarn is not a factor unless you wish to achieve a more traditional type of fair isle look.
Think of the basic sweater done in a chunkier yarn and the shawl worked in a finer yarn like a shawl or scarf attached to the sweater fronts.
Ideal for any season or yarn type, this design can work in cotton, solid or tweeded wools. Let your imagination run wild!

Read further to see for free patterns and tips on yarn dominance when knitting with color.

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