A Fair Isle Christmas

What is about Fair Isle that just makes you feel all cosy and altogether quite festive and Christmassy. Maybe it has something to do with the warm and snuggly yarns or the winter scenes that are all too often reminiscent of such knitwear?
For anyone unsure about the technique......Working with more than colour in your knitting is much easier than it often seems. The most important thing is to just not get yourself in a tangle with too many balls of yarn bobbing around your feet. Also don't pull your knitting too tight otherwise you will end up with holes where the colour changes. When knitting Fair Isle in the round knitting continental is an absolute game changer. I attended Juliet Bernard's Fair Isle & Continental knitting workshop at the Craft Barn a couple of years ago and have since enjoyed making many more hats with the new skills I learned. 

We have gathered together a selection of Fair Isle delights for a spot of inspiration. Some would make beautiful gifts, if you are a speed knitter, or how about a gift for a knitter to make themselves? We've even found a cross stitch kit that has a Fair Isle sweater on it!

West Yorkshire Spinners The Croft Shetland Country book features the sweater below and the hat and mittens set. The sweater is what sparked the idea for this blog post. It's knitted in a combination of The Croft Shetland Colours and The Croft Shetland Tweed, 100% wool yarn from West Yorkshire Spinners that comes in a great selection of colours. Play til your hearts content with all of the varying combinations you could use.

This hat or mittens would make such a lovely last minute gift idea for the speedier knitters out there.

A Bothy Threads cross stitch card Xmas Hare, that's wearing a festive Fair Isle effect jumper.

Scheepjes Bobble Hat pattern is knitted in their Merino Soft yarn. A soft and bouncy yarn that will keep you toasty. With all of those extra strands of yarn from the Fair Isle design, it will almost create an extra layer of warmth.

The Stylecraft Carnival Tweed yarn already creates such an interesting effect when knitted, add in a Fair Isle pattern with Stylecraft Cosy Delight and you've got a fab winter cardigan.

If there is any knitting with multiple colours involved that it is a must to include the master of colour - Kaffe Fassett. His new Rowan book for autumn winter - Rowan winter Vintage, has got the most stunning Fair Isle scarf featured on the front. Knitted in Rowan Felted Tweed.

Bla Votter mittens by Graeme Knowles-Miller. There are three kits to choose from in these funky little mittens. 

West Yorkshire Spinners Collaboration in Design book includes this Fair Isle yoke sweater knitted in the 100% wool yarn, WYS Colourlab DK. We were lucky enough to have the jumper on display in our shop. Barbara kindly tried it on for a quick photo shoot.

If you have any Fair Isle favourites that you like to knit then share you photos with us on social media #blacksheepwools.