'Real' Scottish Fair Isle jumpers

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I love jumpers, and have amassed a collection over the years - all charity shop/Vinted/ebay bargains.

I've fallen in love with a very expensive new jumper from a Scottish knitwear brand and I'm thinking of asking for it for Christmas. It's within budget, but more extravagant than anything I'd usually ask for and I certainly don't need it.... but it would be so lovely to have something new in the exact colourway and style that I choose rather than something second hand!

So, what I'm asking is, has anyone bought from Bosie? Was the quality worth the money? Or can anyone recommend any other manufacturers I ought to check out? I really want to get something that will last and be worn for years and years.

bosieco.squarespace.com/modern-heritage-collection/womens-landgirl-allover-fair-isle-jumper-pecan

Woolovers do pure lambswool fairisle jumpers for around £60 .. They’ve got reductions at the moment.

I haven’t bought from them but have seen their knitwear ‘around’ - possibly on the Plümo site. They seem ethically sound and actually relatively inexpensive for nicely designed pure Shetland wool jumpers. They’re not quite my taste - the colours seem, if not dull, very muted and sludgy. (I prefer something brighter and more innovative in style, like La Fetiche, for instance, but that does come at a higher price.)

But from what I’ve seen I wouldn’t have any doubts about ordering from Bosie.

I notice they make much of their ‘Black Friday’ event next week - you may want to pass that info on to whoever you’re hoping will be buying it for you. Hard to tell if it would be worth waiting for any later sales - their best things might sell out full price.

I got DH two of their Blue mogganer jumpers and they are lush. Looks like they will last for years.

m&s has sparkly and normal fair isle jumpers in at the mo so they are having a moment, which means they might soon be everywhere

I think that is a good price for a quality jumper. At the risk of sounding like an algorithm you might also like Eribe https://www.eribe.com/collections/sweaters

@ProperDeep omg la fetiche is fantastic and so are the prices

Yup.

It’s an awful thing to discover …!

I have a couple of Bosie shetland jumpers bought 2 or 3 years ago. Good as new still & expect them to stay like that for years - gorgeous colours & lovely & warm. I follow their washing advice for all knitwear - cool wash with Woolite & dry flat. I have also bought a couple pf jumpers from the Croft House - also great quality
https://www.thecrofthouse.com/womens-knitwear/knitwear-fair-isle-scottish-wool/fair-isle-knitwear-scottish.html

I have an Eribé jumper and very pleased with it. Really cosy and good quality. Bosie looks great too and a similar price.

I would definitely buy it as you will love it and it should last for ages.

Fair Isle is also fun to knit and a lot easier than you think! I realise that's not for everyone though.

I have an Eribe shirt alpine cardigan in bright yellow … I love it.

I have several Fair Isle jumpers and cardigans from The Croft House, Eribe, Harley of Scotland and Boise.

The Croft House is my favourite. The fit seems to suit my body shape best, the quality is amazing and the customer service is excellent.

My least favourite is Eribe. The Fair Isle jumpers I have, 'Alpine Sweaters', are not made in Scotland, they're made in the EU.

Women's Scottish Knitwear and winter accessories - The Croft House

As a knitter it's disappointing that for £310 those jumpers from Fetiche aren't actually knitted in the round. They are beautiful though. The Bosis ones are and I think they look so much better.

My advice would be learn to knit and do your own, but at my speed it wouldn't be done till next winter.

Hello, thank you all for your suggestions and links. I'm going to sit and have an enjoyable browse through them all now.

I can knit, but my patience only extends as far as hats. Every bigger project I've ever started is still sitting half finished in my wool box 🫣

Would you mind explaining the difference, @Petrarkanian? Please excuse my total ignorance of all things knitting-related!

Knitted in the round they don’t have side seams & are usually knitted top down instead of the bottom up seamed patterns.
Advantages to both. In the round gives a smoother finish, no seams, but seamed ones hold their structure better with less sagging over time.

Thank you 😊

Interesting … My La Fetiche jumpers definitely don’t have side seams! (Perhaps you didn’t examine every single one, @Petrarkanian!) I certainly don’t find them disappointing.

(Not that I care either way. Haven’t knitted anything since 1970-something and have no allegiance to any particular brand. I choose knitwear according to quality, ethos, design, provenance …)

I also have an Eribe jumper which my husband bought me a couple of years ago after we had a very lucky winfall. It's absolutely beautiful and very well made, lovely quality. Bosie looks equally good, if you can afford it I would invest - one really good jumper that you will get years of wear out of is definitely worth it.

It's the Eribe Westray that I have and it says it's made in Scotland.

I have three Bosie jumpers but not Fair Isle. I love them but two developed odd holes where the stitches did not link properly and the other is itchy (the last one came from a special promotion where you can basically choose your own colour).

Just a point of interest!
From 'Exclusively Fair Isle'
The term ‘Fair Isle Knitting’ has nowadays unfortunately become generic and is used worldwide to denote any form of multicoloured knitwear. However, whilst there are many imitations, Fair Isle is still the only place where authentic Fair Isle made in Fair Isle garments are produced. Genuine Fair Isle knitwear made in Fair Isle carries Fair Isle's own trademark 'Star Motif' as a guarantee of quality and place of origin and is not available in any retail outlet, instead being sold direct to customers visiting the island or by mail-order.

They are lovely, it's the ones with raglan sleeves, that look like the yoke is knitted in the round, so it's not the side seams.

I love that check jumper, the colours are amazing, might see if I can find a pattern.

Jamiesons in Shetland - although i was looking at website today and the choice not as great as it used to be.

Harley of Scotland. Some of Toast knitwear that is marketed as Made in Scotland is Harley.

Just wanted to say that I love that jumper OP, it's gorgeous. Love the colours.

Thanks @ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming it's still calling to me. I've enjoyed looking through all of the suggestions, and have seen some lovely jumpers... but I just love the colours and style of the Bosie one.
I'm going to wait and see what Black Friday brings.