Tip
If you are new to Fair Isle designs, tackling a simple banded pattern such as Pretty maids or Crossed battlements might be a good starting point. Try adapting a plain hat pattern and incorporating the colourwork to introduce one striking design element.
Tip
Colourwork is nearly always worked in stocking stitch fabric to provide a clean and simple canvas for the design. Otherwise complex and colourful patterns such as Aubrieta or Zigzag tweed could look overworked and fussy and lose their impact.
Tip
Fair Isle patterns often include a vertical motif, as in the Castle window variations shown here. This means it is easy to adapt the design to fit all the way around a length of knitting, whether it forms the decorative element on a sweater or the brim of a hat.
