Fair Isle fashion knits 17 top-down designs in allover stranded colorwork patterns

Just the use of "Fair Isle" in the title indicates that these 17 patterns are not for beginners, as Brauneis underscores. (Fun fact: the nomenclature originated from a 55-resident Scottish island.) Brauneis shows that the intricacies of knitting two or more colors in a row/round can go far beyond the notion of Fair Isle, featuring such technical niceties as floats, complicated increases and decreases, a different kind of bind off, short rows, and more. The designs veer toward traditional, each including written directions, occasional tips, and charts to follow. Styles tend to favor the raglan shoulder, with a nod to innovation here and there, such as a V-neck sweater with fluffy balloon sleeves and a sweater featuring wide raglan-shoulder stripes. While recommended yarns favor more expensive European brands, crafters can check yarnsub.com for substitutions.