First, the facts:
Title: Fair Isle Style: 20 Fresh Designs for a Classic Technique
Author: Mary Jane Mucklestone
Published by: Interweave Press, 2013
Pages: 159
Type: Patterns
Chapters:
Not so much chapters as a list of patterns.
The In-Depth Look:
I’ve always loved Fair Isle designs in general. The interplay of colors, the patterns that could be delicate or bold … not to mention the centuries of tradition behind it. Knitting for warmth as well as style. Well, really, what’s not to love?
Except, to a modern eye, Fair Isle can look … dated? Busy? Old? Tired? You know, when it’s done badly, or when the colors are shades that simply should not be mixed together. Or when it’s the same pattern, same sweater, same shape as everyone and their brother has seen over and over and over.
Which is exactly why books like this are so appreciated. Mary Jane Mucklestone has taken a traditional technique and, along with a group of talented designers, come up with a collection that takes Fair Isle somewhere new. Not to one of those really new design locations where things get weird, but just somewhere a little closer to 2013 than to 1913. You’ve got sweaters, mittens, gloves, hats, bags … all the things you would really expect when someone mentions “Fair Isle,” but the designs don’t feel old or dated or scented with moth balls. Nor do they feel so new and edgy that they’re sharp enough to cut holes through the yarn and traditions that brought us here.
Like just about all the books in the “Style” collection, this does not disappoint. It gives an assortment of lovely patterns that look to be a pleasure to knit, all while harking comfortably back to a long-standing knitting tradition. For a 21st century knitter, what more do you want?
This book can be found at your local book shop or at Amazon.com.
Want to see bigger pictures? Click here.
This review copy was kindly donated by Interweave Press. Thank you!
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