Knitting a Fair Isle Scarf - On sunny days, it can sometimes be a bit chilly, and that’s when a scarf comes in handy. Petra knitted this scarf especially for this occasion—and because it’s a super fun way to spruce up your outfit. It was a new technique for her, but the result is stunning. Read all the ins and outs here and get started with the free pattern!
Petra tried her hand at the Fair Isle technique for the first time. With this technique, you can easily knit the cutest figures in colorful patterns. Fair Isle is usually knitted on a Circular Knitting Needle so that you only need to use the knit stitch.
The scarf is knitted with the Yarn and Colors Charming blend yarn. This incredibly charming yarn is made of 68% Cotton and 32% Acrylic and has a washed-out look. The vibrant colors let you create beautiful color combinations and style your Fair Isle scarf exactly to your taste!
Tools & Supplies:
- 5 mm Circular Knitting Needles with a 60 cm cable
- 1 ball of Yarn and Colors Charming 29 (burgundy), 23 (brick), 86 (peony leaf), 40 (pink sand)
- 2 balls of Yarn and Colors Charming 46 (pastel pink), 35 (girly pink), and 42 (peach)
- 3 mm Crochet Hook
Are you choosing color combination 2? Check out the color numbers here:
- 1 ball of Yarn and Colors Charming 85 (pesto), 75 (green ice), 76 (mint), 95 (soft gray)
- 2 balls of Yarn and Colors Charming 61 (denim), 62 (larimar), 63 (ice blue)
Scarf dimensions: ±180 cm x 28 cm
Fair Isle Scarf Knitting Pattern
Tip: The scarf is knitted in the round on a Circular Knitting Needle. To mark the end of the pattern, knit one stitch in a different color. This creates a vertical line of a different color along the length of your scarf (Petra uses color 29). Later, you can also use this line as a cutting line.
Using the color Peach (42), cast on 60 stitches on your Circular Knitting Needle. Knit according to the chart patterns. In the instructional video at the bottom of this blog, Petra explains how Fair Isle knitting works.
You read the counting patterns from bottom to top.
Fair Isle Pattern 1
33 needles—color 42 (peach) and 23 (brick).
Fair Isle Pattern 2
33 needles—colors 42 (peach), 29 (burgundy), 40 (pink sand), 46 (pastel), and 35 (girly pink).
Fair Isle Pattern 3
37 needles—colors 29 (burgundy), 23 (brick), 40 (pink sand), 46 (pastel), 35 (girly pink), and 42 (peach).
Fair Isle Pattern 4
31 needles—color 40 (pink sand) and 46 (pastel pink).
Fair Isle Pattern 5
13 needles—colors 29 (burgundy), 23 (brick), 42 (peach), and 35 (girly pink).
Fair Isle Pattern 6
29 needles—color 29 (burgundy), 35 (girly pink), 46 (pastel pink), 42 (peach), and 23 (brick).
Fair Isle Pattern 7
21 needles—colors 29 (burgundy), 42 (peach), and 40 (pink sand).
Pattern 7 is the center of the scarf; the patterns are repeated from here on. To make a symmetrical scarf, knit the counting patterns from top to bottom, starting with Pattern 6 and counting down to 1.
Finishing Your Scarf
Using color 86, crochet two rows of single crochet stitches along the length of the Scarf, leaving about 5 cm between the rows. (You can crochet these rows parallel to the marked line, with the line in the center.) Make sure to crochet the single crochets in a single row of your work.
Now comes the most exciting part. Tip: Try this on a gauge swatch first!
Use a pair of sharp scissors to cut your scarf open. Do this along the line next to the green lines.
And there you go—your scarf is done!
