About

Fair Isle is one of the most impressive looking knitting techniques, while also being fairly easy! Named after one of the Shetland Islands, the technique grew popular in the 1920s.

This class will provide an introduction to knitting with two colors in the traditional Fair Isle style while we make the Flicker & Flame hat designed by Andrea Mowry. While the pattern we'll be knitting is a fairly basic Fair Isle hat with two colors, you will learn a large variety of new skills, such as how to work with one strand of yarn in each hand, how to read a colorwork chart, and how to lock in the loose floats on the inside of a colorwork piece.

As we get to the top of the hat we will be using double pointed needles for knitting small circles in the round, but an introduction to a technique called the magic circle also will be provided.

(Photo credit: Andrea Mowry; https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/flicker--flame)

Details:

• Skill Level: Beginning knitters with little or no experience knitting colorwork. Students should be comfortable casting on and off and knitting. The appropriate cast on for the pattern will be taught.
• Registration closes April 13.

Project:

You will be making a two-color Fair Isle Hat and learn to read a colorwork chart.

Instructor:

Betsy Hagestedt had been working with fiber since she was in elementary school, having learned to sew and knit from her mom. As an anthropologist, she uses her fiber practice as a means of connecting with people from other cultures, embracing the universal nature of the fiber arts. Knitting gradually became her specialization due its portability as she began to travel around the world. You can see some of her fiber experiments on her Instagram feed at behestknits

Details

Students should bring:

• The Flicker & Flame pattern from Andrea Mowry ($7, available on Ravelry),
• Two skeins of worsted weight yarn:
• • Approximately 98 yards of a solid color and 80 yards of a complementary variegated color (consult with a yarn store if you's not sure what you need) 
  • Size 7 and 5 - 16” circular needles, and size 7 double pointed needles

Class Policies

• Ages 14 and up are welcome.