A Blogtour with seven chances to win. Starting today!!
Six designers who contributed to Fair Isle Style are joining together with me for more than a week of give-aways!
This book was something that I’m been dreaming of putting together for years. At last fashion has caught on to the charm and beauty of Fair Isle knitting. And at long last knitters by the droves are embracing stranded knitting and having fun with it.
Putting the book together was very much an affair of friends. family and neighbors.
The Valenzi Cardigan is what I’ve been grabbing these last few days where the mornings have been chilly. Here you see it worn by my daughter Sophie. We shot the book in Maine, hoping to capture some of the feeling of Shetland. The beautiful photographs are by my friend Chris Vaccaro. We had very little time to do the shoot. Only 4 days to pull it together and 2 1/2 days to shoot. The first day poured rain. The next two were windy windy windy! Hair flying everywhere! Thank goodness for makeup artist Cheyenne Timperio, who tamed that hair into beautiful braids and other do’s.
My Morroless Socks are a personal favorite. I love the retro feel of them. They reflect the crazy use of color once aniline dyes became widely available and people were experimenting with bold combinations. Clashing brights are toned down by the warm sheep grey and wee bit of fawn. All pure Shetland Wool. I couldn’t decide about the heels, you’ll find one is yellow and the other blue, hence the name, Morroless, meaning unmatched in Shetland dialect.
Many of the project names contain words from Shetland dialect, a language still spoken in Shetland and wonderful to listen to. I bend my ears and try and understand. It reminds me of when I first moved to Maine, there were many more people who had thick downeast accents with interesting turns of phrase…I would follow old farmers around the supermarket just so I could listen and try and decipher what was being said. They would have said the socks are “the same only different”.
L to R: Reeva Hat by Lisa Shroyer, Mushroom Kelliemuffs by Spilly Jane, Lumesadu Gloves by Nancy Bush.
Leave a comment about your own fair isle adventures for a chance to win a FREE copy of Fair Isle Style.
Comments will close Thursday September 26 at midnight Eastern Time.
Blogtour Dates
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
You’ve still got time to try for Ysloda’s Fair Isle Style Giveaway, her comments close tomorrow at midnight GMT.
Thanks everyone the comments are closed!
It is a beautiful book! I’ve been drooling over all of the patterns on revelry. I can’t wait to get my hands on it and start knitting!
So lovely! And those photos are amazing.
so so glad this book is finally coming out! could not be happier about this amazing addition to the “Style” series. well done!
Oh, I just love your socks! So gorgeous.
What a wonderful treasury of Fair Isle patterns. I’m so glad that dreams do come true!
Oh, would love this book since there are so many of the patterns calling to me!
I’m really looking forward to reading this lovely book and of course knit all the things.
I love the patterns in this book!
Looks like a great book! It’s so FUN entering these “giveaways!” Thanks Mary Jane.
So many lovely patterns! I especially like the Mirry Dancers pullover on the cover. I haven’t knit any fair isle in the last few years and am thinking I need to fix that.
Already bought your book….it’s wonderful!
I have been drooling over these patterns already!
I love these patterns, as well as your beautiful color choices!
The patterns offer some interesting variety to add to my knittting
Such a lovely book! It was very nice to meet someone else who knits left/writes right handed.
Just saw you on Planet Purl and enjoyed a preview of this book, the fresh designs. Really great and learned something new about icelandic wool!
Beautiful book and patterns! I love colorwork but haven’t got the nerve to try it yet. Maybe this would give me the incentive. Thank you for the chance!
I love your book and I think I could easily be addicted to your socks!!! I would LOVE LOVE to win this book – saw you on your Planet Purl Video “show” Great job!!!!
Just saw you on Planet Purl’s Party Line with Beth and really enjoyed it. The patterns are so pretty and creative. How do you come up with those ideas? I’m so impressed. 🙂
What a wonderful book, just so lovely! And those socks…I just HAVE to knit them! LOL
Hello from Nova Scotia – the “other” Scotland! A beautiful showcase of patterns with a modern take on the traditional. I’m inspired to take up stranded knitting.
How gorgeous!
LOVE!!!
Whata beautiful book.
The Valenzi Cardigan is gorgeous! I love the neutral tones.
I love the plum sweater at the top. So unique!
I have 4 things picked out already, including the sweater on the cover. I really love this book!
Looks like a totally awesome book! Thanks for the chance to win.
All so tempting, I’d have to make myself start with the smaller items and work through the book to the larger ones.
I love Fair Isle!
So lovely projects, would love to win the book!
What a lovely book! I’ve always loved colour work and these patterns look fantastic! Congratulations on completing the book!
The book looks awesome!
Thanks for the giveaway!
It’s beautiful! Socks and mitts are favourites!
Congrats!
The book is beautiful, maybe I’ll get lucky…
I love the sweater! Perfect for cool Maine or Shetland mornings!
The book looks wonderful, I hope I am the lucky recipient!
I think I am only going to knit fair isle for the rest of my life.
The sweaters, the socks, the gloves – they’re all so gorgeous but I think I’d be tempted to start with a small project because I’m a fairly new fair isle knitter. It was your 200 Fair Isle Motifs book that got me started when I bought it last winter. I even took classes to learn the two hands technique for stranded knitting. Thank you for the chance to win this latest book of yours, I love it.
I’ve been on a serious colorwork kick recently – having even more patterns to work from would be fantastic!
Love the socks! And the hat and everything actually. Wished I could win the book 🙂
This book looks great ! Congratulations !
Thanks for the opportunity! The colorwork is beautiful!
Ooooo I would loooooove to add this to my library…what a beautiful book! I am not an experienced fair isle knitter, it’s something I would enjoy getting better at.
This looks like an awesome book! I have your vest from craftsy in my queue… I just need to purchase the yarn to start it!
Can’t wait to see this book! Fair Isle Adventures – I remember the first mitten I made. I pulled the colorwork strands so tight the mitten was …. shall we say, crumpley LOL if that is a word. I still have the mitten though, to show people that you CAN move on from there :))
Beautiful photographs. So glad you are keeping the beautiful fair isle technique alive and updated. The second sweater I made was a modern type fair isle. It was a challenge, but I still wear the sweater today, 20 years later! (I did update the 80’s type design and made it more fitted rather than boxy, but I didn’t want to get rid of the sweater and all the work that I put in it). Would love to try another one.
Love the pics. Can’t wait to see the book in real life. And you sweater is deeeevine! Love how the natural shades are enhanced by the design.
Fair isle is my very favorite technique. I teach so as to create more passionate followers, would love to win the book!
Being a quilter for 35+ years, I’ve just recently learned to knit. With all the bits of yarn color in Fair Isle patterns, I guess it reminded me of piecing a quilt, so it was easy to fall head over heels for Fair Isle. I have your other books and have curled the edges of many pages! I would be an ecstatic recipient if I could win this book! Thank you!
love love !!
I love knitting fair isle and I love wearing the finished result – I need this book in my collection for sure!
Just finished your class at Amy’s retreat, ready to embark on a fair isle SWATCHING adventure, as well as all things swatched.
Love the modern fair isle look 🙂
I love the Reeva hat, but I suspect all the designs are great!
Been waiting for this book for a while. It looks great!
Hi Mary, I’m totally in love with the sweater on the frontpage x
Thanks for the chance to win! I love stranded knitting and this book looks awesome.
It looks so great !!
thank you for the chance to get it for free !!!
cant say ive done fair isle at all, but im ready to try!!
The fair isle project I am most pleased with is the Sheep Heid hat I made. It truly was an adventure, not the least in that I knit it in Sanibel, Florida where it was more than 80 degrees every day. It uses 9 different colors of Shetland wool. I would love to win your book to continue my adventures in fair isle. my rav name is janineny2001.
I’m pretty new to colorwork, and love the look of these patterns! I made an Inga Hat (on Ravelry) that I love…
MJ, your daughter is lovely and those socks!! I gotta make ’em! Mary in Cinncinnati
Lovely book! I have your fair isle motifs book and made a giant swatch of patterns I liked. (and cut my first steek!) I planned to make a hat with the patterns I picked out, but haven’t found the time yet.
Wow, I’m impressed. Can’t wait to see this book.
I’ve always loved Fair Isle sweaters–when I was in high school I had a much-loved fair isle-yoked Dean’s of Scotland sweater that I wore until it was threadbare. Now, as a knitter, I’m just learning fair isle knitting, but this book looks like a must-have!
I tried Fair Isle once but I have a lot to learn. I love the combination of traditional and modern style.
I’ve only done a little fair isle knitting, but would love to do more.
naomil1@verizon.net
So many lovely patterns! Congratulations.
I learned to knit 59 years ago, but I only learned to knit Fair Isle just one year ago. I finally took private lessons at my lys and now its all I want to do! I just love the patterns that I’ve seen from your new book and can not wait to get one for myself!!
Thank you for all of your hard work and creativity!!!
I’ve done some Fair Isle-type knitting, but never true, traditional Fair Isle. I must say the pictures from the book are sooo tempting. I see a project or two or three in my future. Thank you for the opportunity!
I love love love the sweater. Would be perfect for some of my handspun.
I have had this book on my wish list since I first saw it. The cover sweater caught my eye and many other patterns I’ve seen look great. Thank you for the chance to win.
These patterns are all winners! I agree that the cover sweater is to die for!
I have done a few Fair Isle projects and really enjoyed them. Don’t know why I don’t do it more often!
Fair Isle is my favorite knitting technic. I discovered it over 20 years ago and love it more and more with every finished FI item I’ve knitted.
This book is om my amazon wish list. It would be super nice if I win it.
Cannot wait to knit projects from it.
xoxo
PS. Again, not sure if this is open for international readers.