Review: Easy Fair Isle Knitting

I know from talking to knitters and hearing what you all say when I ask that a lot of knitters are a little afraid of Fair Isle knitting and other colorwork projects. They seem really intimating because it’s hard to imagine working with two yarns at once, but once you’ve done a little bit of this kind of knitting you will see that it isn’t really that difficult at all, and the results are lovely.

British knitwear designer Martin Storey wants to take the scary out of stranded knitting with his book Easy Fair Isle Knitting: 26 Projects with a Modern Twist. The book is heavy on pillow covers, which are a fun way to liven up your living room and are relatively small projects that are good for learning.

There are also vests, cowls, socks, table covers and more (check out the patterns on Ravelry).

Some of my favorites include the Kitten and Stripe Scarf, which is exactly what it sounds like; the Waves Vest, with a combo of zig-zags and lice stitch; Little Hearts Cowl, with stripes of different colored hearts; the Soft Stripe Gloves, with a band of diamonds on the wrist and stripes up the hands; and the Simple Spots Pillow, covered with circles of different colors.

The only problem with this book is that there aren’t really any instructions for how to knit Fair Isle, just a few tips for making it easier.

This would be a great book for beginners if not for that, but you might need to check out a YouTube video or another book for the basics if you’re a complete beginner.

If you have a project or two under your belt and are comfortable with the basics, there’s a lot of cute stuff in this book. And for knitters with more experience who still like an easeir project every now and then, these are great, too.

About the book: 128 pages, paperback with interior flaps, 26 patterns. Published August 2016, Trafalgar Square Books. Retail price $24.95

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The felted slipper craze that began last year doesn’t seem like it’s fading away. The Sailor Slippers, often striped knit and felted slippers made with super bulky yarn, because the project of the moment late last year (check out more knit slipper options in this post all about sailor slippers) and they’re still consistently popular with knitters.

Which makes sense because they are fun and fast to knit, and seeing them go from this giant thing to something that actually fits a foot feels a little magical.

I have always loved felting (in fact my first book was about felting knitting) and it’s always fun for me to see people rediscover this technique.

If you’ve knit enough plain slippers to fit all the feet you know, maybe it’s time to stitch up some tabi style slippers instead.

Maymade Knits has designed these cute tabi ballerina slippers, made with bulky yarn and felted. They’re worked flat at first and then in rounds, and are available in 10 EU sizes (the Internet tells me add 31 to your American shoe size to get your EU size). The designer says the slippers are meant to have a close fit and you should choose a size a little smaller than your foot for the ideal fit.

The pattern includes a video tutorial along with the written pattern.

You can grab this pattern on Ravelry. The same designer has her own version of the striped felted slipper as well, called Sarah’s Striped Slippers. These are worked in super bulky yarn and have a contrasting foot and a striped body. These are knit flat and seamed and there are 7 size options available. Check that pattern out here if you’re looking for a more traditional slipper shape. They also look roomier so you can wear them with socks if you like.

[Photo: Maymade Knits]

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