FAQ: What is Fair Isle Knitting?

Fair Isle knitting, also known as stranded knitting, refers to color work that is a repeating pattern worked over a group of stitches and rows. What separates Fair Isle from intarsia and other color work techniques is the stranding on the back.  Here’s a quick example that I worked up using the houndstooth chart from this pattern.

Here’s a close up of the stranding on the back. Because my floats are short, I didn’t have to twist them.

Curious about what you can make with Fair Isle knitting? Here are just a few examples:

Clockwise from left: Limelight Stirrup Socks, Pemberly Tam, and Cloudsong Cowl.

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