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is a very specific type of stranded knitting from Fair Isle, a tiny island in the north of
Scotland and part of the Shetland Islands. In Fair Isle knitting, only 2 colors are used per round and yarn is carried for a limited number of stitches across the back of the work. Common motifs are OXO shapes,
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word meaning 'stitch', 'to close shut', and comprising several stitches) are worked across the armhole openings allowing the body to be completed in the round without interruption. Once the main body of the jumper is complete, the armhole steeks are cut open. Steeks are secured to prevent unravelling
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Fair Isle, where the unused strand is held in slightly different positions relative to the needles and thereby woven into the fabric, still invisible from the front but trapped closely against the back of the piece. This permits a nearly limitless variety of pattern with considerably larger blocks of
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needles, cast on any number of stitches. Knitting then continues in the round, with the colours alternated every stitch. If the pattern is started with an even number of stitches, a vertically striped tube of fabric will be formed, while an odd number will create a diagonal grid that appears to mix
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stitch is not used if the garment is knit in the round. At each knit stitch, there are two available "active" colours of yarn; one is drawn through to make the knit stitch, and the other is simply held behind the piece, carried as a loose strand of yarn behind the just-made stitch. To avoid "loose"
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Some people use the term "Fair Isle" to refer to any colourwork knitting where stitches are knitted alternately in various colours, with the unused colours stranded across the back of the work, but this is inaccurate. The term "stranded colourwork" is applicable for the generic technique, and the
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Since the 1990s the term ‘Fair Isle’ has been applied very generally and loosely to any stranded colour knitting regardless of its relation to the knitting of Fair Isle or any of the other
Shetland Islands. This, however, is inaccurate.
241:‘peeries’ or simplified geometric shapes inspired by nature. Although only two colors are worked together on any given round, designs often incorporate more colors, up to as many as 10 for some very complex Fair Isle designs.
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in public in 1921. Traditional Fair Isle patterns have a limited palette of five or so colours, use only two colours per row, are worked in the round, and limit the length of a run of any particular colour.
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knitting can carry one colour with their right hand and one with their left, although it is also possible to simply use two different fingers for the two colours of yarn and knit both using the same style.
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strands larger than 3-5 stitches, the yarn not in use can be "caught" by the yarn in use without this being seen on the front of the work. Knitters who are comfortable with both
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of stitches, either before or after cutting. Stitches are then picked up around the armhole opening and the sleeve is knitted down toward the
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This article is about the knitting style named for the island in
Northern Scotland. For knitwear made on the Danish island, see
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Traditional Fair Isle patterns normally had no more than three consecutive stitches of any given colour, because they were
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Traditionally, Fair Isle jumper construction involves knitting the body of the jumper completely in the round.
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Basic two-colour Fair Isle requires no additional techniques beyond the basic knit stitch: the
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Many people use the term Fair Isle when they mean stranded knitting, and this is inaccurate.
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The
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technique used to create patterns with multiple colours. It is named after
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term "Fair Isle" is reserved for the characteristic patterns of
Shetland.
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The Art of Fair Isle
Knitting: History, Technique, Color and Pattern
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121:. Fair Isle knitting gained considerable popularity when the
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The
Complete Book of Traditional Fair Isle Knitting
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433:(1st ed.). New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks.
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141:Other techniques for knitting in colour include
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350:"Stranded: Colorwork vs. Fair Isle Knitting"
404:Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting
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456:Bourgeois, Ann; Bourgeois, Eugene (2000).
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78:Learn how and when to remove this message
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41:This article includes a list of general
1282:Visual and material culture of Scotland
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567:List of yarns for crochet and knitting
16:Traditional British knitting technique
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464:. Bothell, WA: Martingale & Co.
189:The simplest Fair Isle pattern uses
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100:Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII)
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379:. Loveland, CO: Interweave Press.
47:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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318:The Fair Isle Knitting Handbook
1165:The Knitting Guild Association
429:Mountford, Debra, ed. (1995).
406:. Newtown, CT: Taunton Press.
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109:(/fɛəraɪ̯l/) is a traditional
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1160:World Wide Knit in Public Day
1145:Revolutionary Knitting Circle
460:Fair Isle Sweaters Simplified
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1155:UK Hand Knitting Association
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21:Faroe Island § Clothing
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723:Stockinette/Stocking stitch
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1211:List of knitting stitches
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1257:Textile arts of Scotland
1006:Fully fashioned knitting
402:Starmore, Alice (1988).
375:Feitelson, Ann (1996).
62:more precise citations.
1206:Knitting abbreviations
1079:Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
1026:William Lee (inventor)
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165:Fair Isle knitwear in
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1181:Basic knitted fabrics
320:. London: Blandford.
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102:in a Fair Isle jumper
96:John St Helier Lander
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1104:Elizabeth Zimmermann
929:Three needle bindoff
914:Slip-stitch knitting
834:Drop-stitch knitting
503:at Wikimedia Commons
501:Fair Isle (knitting)
281:. London: Batsford.
1262:Culture of Shetland
894:Picking up stitches
799:Binding/Casting off
661:Patons and Baldwins
646:Eisaku Noro Company
557:Knitting needle cap
545:Tools and materials
1272:Textile techniques
1247:Knitting ornaments
889:Medallion knitting
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147:slip-stitch colour
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1277:Scottish clothing
1252:Knitting stitches
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1099:Barbara G. Walker
879:Illusion knitting
499:Media related to
471:978-1-56477-311-1
440:978-0-517-88405-8
413:978-0-918804-97-6
386:978-1-883010-20-1
354:Kelbourne Woolens
327:978-0-7137-2206-2
288:978-0-7134-1432-5
198:the two colours.
183:Continental style
129:) wore Fair Isle
94:1925 portrait by
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1011:Knitting machine
994:Machine knitting
809:Brioche knitting
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149:(also known as
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1094:Meg Swansen
784:Basketweave
687:Continental
641:Coats Group
634:Yarn brands
572:Row counter
60:introducing
1236:Categories
1044:Sam Barsky
824:Casting on
814:Buttonhole
772:Techniques
738:Dip stitch
625:Variegated
258:References
219:(from the
43:references
1267:Fair Isle
1037:designers
980:Fair Isle
934:Thrumming
909:Short row
844:Faggoting
763:Yarn over
702:Norwegian
238:Fair Isle
157:Technique
115:Fair Isle
107:Fair Isle
1186:Blocking
985:Intarsia
963:Patterns
864:Grafting
839:Entrelac
748:Increase
733:Decrease
716:Stitches
682:Combined
677:Circular
538:Knitting
480:43555235
449:32845724
422:18788969
395:34590877
336:60047818
316:(1990).
277:(1981).
246:See also
221:Scottish
210:colour.
203:stranded
191:circular
143:intarsia
111:knitting
1216:Selvage
1196:History
1191:Dye lot
1174:Related
1140:Ravelry
954:Welting
949:Weaving
904:Ribbing
874:Hemming
692:English
620:Novelty
610:Eyelash
297:8064374
131:jumpers
125:(later
98:of the
56:improve
1135:Knitty
1125:Knitta
975:Argyle
944:Twined
854:Gather
819:Cables
804:Bobble
728:Garter
670:Styles
605:Bouclé
598:styles
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252:Gumbys
216:Steeks
45:, but
924:Steek
899:Pleat
859:Gauge
360:9 May
207:woven
970:Aran
939:Tuck
884:Lace
707:Warp
697:Flat
615:Lopi
596:Yarn
476:OCLC
466:ISBN
445:OCLC
435:ISBN
418:OCLC
408:ISBN
391:OCLC
381:ISBN
362:2024
332:OCLC
322:ISBN
293:OCLC
283:ISBN
226:cuff
181:and
174:purl
193:or
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