This is a book review of Fair Isle Knitting by Carina Olsson.
What You Need to Know About This Knitting Pattern Book:
Author: Carina Olsson
Publisher: Trafalgar Square Books
Copyright Date: This is the English language translation of the book that has a copyright date of 2023.
ISBN 13: 9781646011933
Book Format: Hardcover without dust jacket
Number of Pages: 176
Cover Price: $31.95 US dollars (but you can frequently : find it discounted at online retailers like Amazon.com) :
Recommended Knitting Skill Level: You’ll get the best value from this book if you have achieved at least an intermediate knitter’s skill set, because the majority of patterns in this book are rated for intermediate or experienced knitters. However, there is a significant amount of technical information shared in this book that will be valuable to you if you do not yet consider yourself to be an intermediate knitter, and you want to increase your knitting skills. So I do enthusiastically recommend this book to you if you are a new knitter who is serious about working to improve your skills – but only if you are really interested in investing the effort in learning, practicing, and working at it. If you’re hoping to just kick back and relax with some easy knitting projects, this is not a book I would recommend to you.
The Focus of This Book:
This book is tightly focused on providing you with appealing Fair Isle knitting patterns. The book also includes supplemental material on the topic of Fair Isle knitting including insights on swatching, choosing colors, and designing your own sweaters. A brief history of Fair Isle knitting is included.
The Best Things About This Book
- The lovely hardcover format is sturdy and appealing.
- This book features a generous number of truly spectacular color knitting patterns!
- The color photographs included in this book are exquisite.
- This book makes the Fair Isle technique accessible to knitters who have never tried it before. There are projects that don’t have to fit anybody, and I recommend those as your introductory projects to Fair Isle knitting if you are new to this technique; that way, you can just knit, without having to worry about whether you’re knitting exactly to the correct gauge. (Of course, if you aren’t knitting precisely to the right gauge, you will have to ensure you have plenty of yarn so you do not run out if your gauge is slightly looser than the pattern designers’).
- This book also includes some projects that have only small sections of Fair Isle knitting incorporated, which is wonderful if you’re hoping to try the Fair Isle knitting technique without getting overwhelmed.
- Corrections have been made and are already included in the book. YAY that the publisher caught the places that needed correcting, and YAY for not having to hunt all over the internet to find them!
Things to Be Aware of Before You Buy This Book
This book gives bunches of excellent insights on how to approach Fair Isle knitting, but it DOES NOT provide you with detailed, step-by-step photo tutorials for learning how to do Fair Isle knitting. If you have not already learned how to do Fair Isle knitting, you will benefit from finding a teacher or another resource who can help you understand the basic mechanics of this technique. But if you have already learned the basics of how to do this knitting technique, this book will give you everything you need to know to take your Fair Isle knitting skills to the next level — including exquisite patterns and colorway examples you’ll be able to use for practicing and mastering this technique.
Topics Covered in This Book: Fair Isle knitting patterns; Fair Isle knitting charts; colors in Fair Isle knitting; color arrangements in Fair Isle knitting patterns; how to arrange your color patterns when knitting a Fair Isle project; examples of colorway variations; color inspiration for knitting; yarn color cards; Shetland sheep; Shetland wool; yarn; knitting patterns; knitting techniques; the Fair Isle knitting technique; stranded color knitting; two-color stranded knitting; floats in knitting; knitting belt; multi-colored knitted ribbing; corrugated ribbing; steeks; washing and blocking knitwear; colorwork knitting; knitting with multiple colors; knitting pattern sample swatches; swatching; knitted sweater design; how to design a knitted sweater; stitch pattern repeats and stitch count; arranging pattern panels; jogs in Fair Isle knitting; sweater necklines; sweater armholes; the Shetland Islands; and a brief history of Fair Isle knitting
Conclusion
I’m delighted to recommend this book to other knitting enthusiasts! I love and adore this book, and I think you will enjoy it, too.
Where to Buy This Book:
Find More Excellent Knitting Pattern Books
- Easy Fair Isle Knitting Patterns: DIY Hipster Clothes and Home Decor
- Click here to find our picks for 2023’s best new knitting books.
About Your Book Reviewer: Amy Solovay is a freelance writer with a background in textile design. She has been crocheting and crafting since childhood, and knitting since she was a teenager. Nowadays, she collects interesting needlework patterns and devotes some of her free time to designing new patterns for other handcrafters to enjoy.
This page was last updated on 6-19-2023.