Nice fairisle jumper?

[Ambleside48]

Has anyone seen any decent fairisle jumpers about? All I can find are naff Christmas jumpers...
Thanks!

I know you have decided to knit but there is nice ones in Fat Face and White Stuff reasonably priced.

To the knitters on this thread, there are loads of free and cheap patterns for fair isle and other yoke designs online - I know because I spent a few hours yesterday making a collection of them on Pinterest :D

Well, Ive gone mad and ordered the Celtic and co Nordic one!! ....

Ambleside, I had a fairisle sweater made from Jaeger wool, oh my God, I would say about 35 years ago. The sweater is perfect still and has been worn every Winter. The wool is still soft and springy and the shape is just the same.
The wool cost a fortune even all that time ago and the lady who knitted it for me charged me a fair bit as well.

I have no regrets about the cost and believe in quality. It always lasts and a fairisle sweater will not go out of fashion.
Buy the best wool you can afford, imo.

If you look on Ravelry you can search for the book and see if anyone has logged the patterns

Thanks NotMe, I’ve had a look on Ravelry and saved a load of patterns. There are loads of free ‘drops’ ones that look lovely, just need to find the right wool now!

I've been following this thread, in case you haven't found it on Ravelry Amble, here's the page for the book you mentioned upthread www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/fair-isle-style-20-fresh-designs-for-a-classic-technique/patterns

I love being able to click on the projects linked to a pattern and see them on people with different body shapes.

If you are knitting, as well as the Jamieson & Smith link above, there is also Jamieson's in Shetland. www.jamiesonsofshetland.co.uk/
It is a prettier website, but I have had good service from the first one in spite of their archaic site. There is a book by a Japanese designer on one of them. The Japanese seem to be very into complicated knitting.

I have a Laura Ashley fair isle cardigan (made in Scotland) that cost me about £54 in about 1990. It is still going strong, but has that oversized look of the era. The colours are fantastic though and make me go weak at the knees, even now

I have got the Yokes book from Kate Davies as well OP which is really nice. In fact I plan on knitting the Cockatoo Brae cardigan from there.

I can advise against a book called 'more easy fair isle knits' - not much in there, I picked it up in a charity shop but it is still available on Amazon.

I buy really nice wool too - I go to Yarndale and buy lots of really lovely handspun stuff. Like you I don't mind buying a lovely jumper because I know how much it costs to make one!

West Yorkshire Spinners have lovely wool.

I’ve always been fond of Kate Davies’s Paper dolls pattern. Chickadee by Ysolda Teague is also lovely. Sadly I don’t think that style will suit my ginormaboobs. I still keep looking though.

I love that pattern too mimiasovitch but I can't justify buying another pattern! Interesting that baa ram ewe wool is suggested for that as that is really local to me (was surprised to see it).

I am so jealous of you getting to Yarndale Barchester

Searching for lopapeysa also brings up some good patterns. I'm making Moon Pulls at the minute as it's hopefully going to be more forgiving at the bust than jumpers with the pattern ending there. I might as well put downward arrows into the pattern on those...

I love the chickadee one but not sure about doing a cardi - I tend to mess up the buttons/button holes which you can get away with on kids clothes but not so much on adult ones...

So impressed by all you knitters! Can’t wait to get started, it’s going to be a challenge it hopefully worth it!

Flavia, I go to Skipton for shopping quite a bit so Yarndale is sort of compulsory.

I have just googled your pattern - it is lovely.

I love nice wool, it makes me happy.

You must come back and tell us what you decide to make Ambleside, we can cheer each other on on our projects.

West Yorkshire spinners looks good - and they have the J&S Crofter It is wonderful that there are British wool manufacturers around - so much is imported now. I find it quite exciting, but cannot knit fast enough to make use of it all

I am now being followed round the internet by Fair Isle jumper adverts.

Baa ram ewe also have nice wool Terry. I buy loads from small time producers (who also sell on etsy), if you google handspun yard and narrow the search to UK you get some lovely yarns.

I bought myself a spinning wheel after Yarndale in 2016 but have yet to use it ! One day I will have more time.

I had a go at spinning - someone came to our knitting group to show us. It is fascinating and I wasn't that bad at it but I know I will never manage to spin myself a jumper - not in this century anyway.

At the moment I am doing a Shetland lace jumper it is incredibly good value for money, but very fine, so takes a while .... I also knitted myself a Killing sweater with wool from the Faroes. That was really good value, but itchy

Oh what a lovely thread. Those Harley jumpers are gorgeous. I wonder if they have a factory shop, might be worth a wee trip north for me!
I have all of Kate Davies pattern books but have never taken the plunge. I love the Ursula cardigan particularly.

Op what pattern see you going for?

My mum has a spinning wheel and spins/dyes her own yarn - she uses some of it for knitting but most of it for weaving (she has a loom in her shed )

I haven’t decided which pattern yet! I need to sit down and have a proper look at them all but the small children are delaying that a bit . Will let you know when I decide and yes we should definitely keep each other updated with our projects!!

I have got a loom too Ambleside, I love weaving, haven’t done much of that lately either. Have been working 45-50 hour weeks for most of the year and am just too tired to do anything much. But that won’t continue and I will resort to making lovely things.

Right! I have got it down to between this one

www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/annas-lopapeysa

Or this one

www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vintage-memories

And I can’t decide between the two! What does everyone think? The first is definitely more traditional, but the second is so lovely! Aargh decisions!!

Where would people say is best of the best to get wool online?

Thanks Fairisle gurus!!

Nr. 2 for me. Rowan felted tweed is lovely to knit and you can get it in john lewis or lots of other places or online. I like a shaped waist too.

But the other would knit quicker. I see your dilemma. I don't think there's a wrong answer

There's an offer on rowan felted tweed on love knitting at the minute, it popped up to tempt me in my inbox yesterday.

Umm, that's a tough decision, looks like it might be easier to work out sizing on the second unless you're size 8?

I’ve changed my mind again!

I’m going to do this one

www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=7083&cid=17#pattern_content

Just ordered the wool and looking forward to getting started. Will prob upload some work in progress photos, is there a knitting MN section as i guess it would be better there!