What a pleasure to pick up a beautiful book full of beautiful projects photographed in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Mary Jane Mucklestone’s latest is just such a treat. If you aren’t familiar with Mary Jane, she’s an expert in the field of stranded knitting, with five previous books and numerous pattern designs to her credit. Fair Isle Weekend gives the reader a window into Mary Jane’s visits to the windy, woolly Fair Isle of northern Scotland.
Fair Isle Weekend is a hardcover book, about 7.5 by 9 inches. The book begins with an introduction in which Mary Jane explains how she came to visit and love the island. Next up: two essays about Fair Isle the place and fair isle the technique, then steeking instructions, followed by eight patterns — two sweaters and a vest, plus an assortment of accessories (tam, hat, cowl, two wristwarmers).
Some of my faves include the Lower Leough sweater, with a swath of stranded colorwork above the hem:
the bright Buness tam:
the Kuvvel cowl:
and the Tamto fingerless gloves.
Patterns include all the usual niceties, such as schematics and color charts, with generous size ranges for sweaters going from around 30-ish to 60-ish inch bust circumference. Most designs are knit in Jamieson’s of Shetland or Jamieson & Smith — both cost-effective, both easy to substitute — but one is knit in a locally-created yarn called Kathy Coull’s Home-grown Fair Isle (used in the hat below) that looks intriguing.
There are lots of color photos throughout, showing close-ups of the designs as well as some of the magnificent landscapes.
This is not the cheapest knitting book out there (I’ve seen it priced anywhere from $29-35), but I think it’s worth the splurge. It’s a lovely book, featuring great patterns, clear instructions, and loads of inspiration. Leaf through and enjoy the windswept island dreams it’s likely to spark.
Note: I sincerely believe that my use of the above photos qualifies as fair use. Please contact me if you are the copyright owner and believe otherwise so that I can rectify the situation.
