Fair Isle Style: Fara Raglan + Scandi Sukkalegs

By Kate Gagnon Osborn on

If you’ve been paying any sort of attention, you know we love colowork. A bunch of our designs: Colette, Rukkilill Mitts, Gretel, Jackson, Winnipeg, Sylvie + many of the projects in Vintage Modern Knits (just to name a few!) feature color in one way or another.

As a result, when we were approached by colorwork knitter extraordinaire, Mary Jane Mucklestone, to contribute to her book, Fair Isle Style, we were delighted! 

Kate’s contribution to the book are the Scandi Sukkalegs. Called “sukkalegs” in Shetland dialect, leggings make great take-along projects because they are both small and simple. Kate’s leg warmers are Norwegian inspired and feature stacks of partial stars and elegant shaping in vertical stripes. 

Specifications: 
Yarn: Road to China in Moonstone + Riverstone, 2 skeins each
Gauge: 21 stitches and 22 rnds = 4 inches in charted pattern
Needles: US 5 – 3.75 mm + US 7 – 4.5 mm dpns
Notions: stitch marker, tapestry needle
Size: 12.25″ circumference at top and 14.25″ long

Courtney’s contribution to the book is the Fara Raglan, a traditionally inspired pullover with retro styling and simple top-down construction. The sweater features alternating peerie bands in each stripe sequence, shaping worked into the solid bands and an vintage-inspired color combination.

Specifications: 
Yarn: Canopy Fingering in quetzal 5 (6, 7, 7, 8) skeins, wild ginger 2 (2, 2, 3, 3) skeins, sarsparilla, conifer, acai, sumac, plum, + laguna, 1 skein each
Gauge: 30 stitches and 34 rnds = 4 inches in charted pattern
Needles: US 1 – 2.5 mm + US 2 – 3 mm 16″, 24″ circs + set dpns
Notions: stitch marker, tapestry needle, waste yarn holders
Size: 32 (36.6, 40, 44.75, 48″ finished bust measurement

In honor of the book’s release, we’re delighted to be offering a chance to win a free copy of Fair Isle Style to one of our readers. To win, leave a comment on this post telling us what is the most favorite color work item you’ve knitted (or if you haven’t yet done colorwork – and you should! – what the first project is that you’re going to knit). Comments will be open until midnight EST on Friday, September 27th. 

For more information about other projects in the book (and more chances to win!) check out the rest of the participants on the Blog Tour here:

Thursday, September 19: Mary Jane Mucklestone – Valenzi Cardigan and Morrowless Socks
Friday, September 20: Carrie Hoge – Peerie Weerie Booties
Monday, September 23: Norah Gaughan – Mareel Shrug
Tuesday, September 24: Courtney Kelly – Fara Raglan + Kate Osborn – Scandi Sukkalegs
Wednesday, September 25: Gudrun Johnston – Bressay Dress
Thursday, September 26: Kat Coyle – Keltin Skirt
Friday, September 27: Kirsten Kapur – Hap-Lapghan

 

 

38 thoughts on “Fair Isle Style: Fara Raglan + Scandi Sukkalegs”

  1. Well, I’m colorwork phobic. I have knit 2-3 colorwork patterns ever, but the one I’m most proud of is my Chevzam by Alex Tinsley. I LOVE IT! haha Her use of color on that pattern is amazing, and I entered it into our state fair with high hopes of honors! 😀 What a great giveaway! I’ve been eyeing this book since I first saw the wee baby booties pop up on Rav.

  2. I haven’t knit much Fair Isle…yet…but my favorite was my Inga Hat (pattern by Sheila Macdonald on Ravelry). Love the patterns in this book!

    Kris C.

  3. My favorite colorwork item was the fiddlehead mittens (Adrian Bizilia). I made a pair for me, then a pair for both my mother and grandmother at their request! Mine are lined with angora for an extra-luxurious feel, and I wear them all winter long.

    I would love to make a pair of those Scandi Sukkalegs for myself- they look fantastic!

  4. I’m pretty new to color work but was most proud of my 8-ball tea cozies that I made one year for family for Christmas!

  5. I haven’t knitted color work but I have crocheted a color work Christmas stocking years ago that looks like I knitted stars into the stocking.I am fortunate to find the pattern last year.

    rinebird on Ravelry

  6. My favorite colorwork project was Lillehammer (the 1994 Olympic sweater) from Dale of Norway! It was a lot of work, but it came out beautifully. I love colorwork!

  7. The book looks beautiful. I have played with intarsia but have not tackled my first fair isle project. I want to give it a try! I love the legwarmers.

    Dana aka cinephile on Ravelry

  8. I knit Kate Davies’ Sheep Heid and really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to tackling more! my rav name is janineny2001.

  9. This book looks fantastic! I’ve only done one fair isle project but it was a blast! It’s the lovely Selbu Modern pattern, which I’ve had several requests from family members to recreate.

    Katie aka kschippers on Ravelry

  10. A couple of years ago, my first fair isle project was the Dotty vest for my husband. It took me forever, but I loved it, he wears it all of the time, and I want to do more colorwork!

  11. I made a cowl of my own design last winter with an arrow motif. I started with a sketch, then a chart, then a steeked swatch, and finally the finished cowl. It was fun to go through the whole design process, plus I think the final product is pretty cute too!
    http://ravel.me/katieemma/e6bue

  12. I would love to knit the sweater on the cover. From what I have seen of the patterns in the book there a several that look like they would be great to knit. I am in the process of knitting a fair isle vest. Thanks for the chance to win.

  13. Fair Isle is my favorite type of knitting, I love to watch the patterns emerge. I have knit many Fair Isle sweaters, but my favorites are the ones knit with animal motifs!

  14. I am looking forward to learning colour work. I have been knitting and crocheting for15 months, and have learned to knit socks. I feel I am ready for this new challenge of using colour work on a pair of socks

  17. I’ve only dabbled in colorwork before now so am looking forward to knitting my first real colorwork pattern, Spillyjane’s Police Box mittens. This book gives me lots of good second, and third, and fourth projects!

  18. I am about to start learning some entrelac colour work along side my grandma, always helps to have an expert around as a reference

  19. I love the strawberry mittens I am working on now. It’s from kulabra knits. Now to finish them.
    Wahoomerryf on ravelry

  20. I’ve made the fornicating deer hat twice for my DH. The chart is addicting and fun to watch come to life.

  21. I spent years being afraid of Fair Isle, but after a few lessons it’s fast becoming an obsession. Last year I bought 55 Christmas Balls to Knit and have been quietly working away on them this past year, which has built up my confidence to try something more (my daughter keeps sending me photos of leg warmers with animal motifs and hinting how much she’d love some). My favourite project is usually whatever is currently on my needles, so I guess I’ll say it’s the Christmas balls for now. I love this book, the more I look through it the more projects I see that I’d love to knit.

    Not sure if you need to know (in case I win) – I’m Gaile on Ravelry!

  24. I made a hat for my nephew last year. I went around and around and did whatever I wanted with two colors. It turned out so cute (though I think it looked a bit like one of the onion domes on St. Basil’s Cathedral) that I keep getting requests for more. I didn’t write anything down, and don’t have the patience to sit down and figure it out!
    rav id: KateMisbehavin

  26. My favorite project so far is Catharine Wallace’s Land Girl Socks from Renaissance Dyeing. I’d love to try those leggings–what clever shaping in the back!

  28. I have done very little colour work but would like to learn more about it, I think I’d like to make the Bressay Dress first. Very nice book, all of the patterns are beautiful.

  29. My favorite Fair Isle project (so far) was Kate Davies’ Neep Heid hat…I just loved those turnips!

  31. I’m in the process of natural dyeing my hand spun yarn for a fair isle sweater. I still have all of the designing left. Maybe it will be finished by the one year mark in February:)

  33. Love the sweater!!
    I haven’t done colourwork knitting for a while having been seduced by other projects and yarn but loved knitting Kaffe Fassett designs in the eighties and nineties..my favourite was probably a child’s jacket in the classic Family Knits. It was worn by many toddlers in turn and hopefully still survives somewhere!

  34. I love colourwork kniting! It’s by far my favourite knitting technique. I have at least one colourwork project going on at any given moment. When I finish the projects I’m working on now I’d like to start either Ornkey by Marie Wallin or Stasis Pullover by Leila Raabe.

  35. A friend helped me design a hat with cross country skiers on it for one of my very first knitting projects. So awesome. Love your leggings!

  36. This book looks great and both of your projects look like such fun. My favorite colourwork project that I have done so far is my Baccardi cardigan

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