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17 Free Fair Isle Cardigan Patterns

These Fair Isle cardigan patterns from Yarnspirations include projects for all ages! This is really the type of sweater that works for anyone. Fair Isle cardigans can have the traditional yoke or an all-over or banded pattern. In other words, you can have tons of color and design across the whole sweater or maybe just a pop of that unique use of Fair Isle design. Use these patterns to make a beautiful sweater and practice your Fair Isle knitting technique.

Don’t know Fair Isle? Learn all about how to do it at Camp Colorwork!

Fair Isle cardigan patterns

What Are Fair Isle Cardigan Sweaters?

Fair Isle is one specific type of colorwork knitting. There are many different ways to knit with color, including different ways to make bold colorful designs. We cover lots of them in Camp Colorwork, including Fair Isle. Fair Isle is one of the most classic popular techniques. Once you know what it is, you’ll always be able to recognize it.

The technique is named for a type of knitting that originally comes from the Fair Isle, which is a small Scottish island. In true Fair Isle, you work with two colors per row. You might change which two colors you use from one row to another, so you can have a very colorful overall design. People often use common motifs or design shapes when creating Fair Isle cardigan sweaters and other patterns in this technique.

Although the technique is very specific, people today often use the term to refer to various types of knit colorwork. In particular, if you create stranded colorwork, people might say you are working Fair Isle. If you’re using more than two colors per row, longer strands and repeats, and other changes, then you might not be using traditional Fair Isle but rather another type of knit colorwork design. The general idea is the same, though – color is used to make interesting designs on a beautiful sweater or other item.

Knit Fair Isle Cardigan Sweaters Free Pattern

So, now that you’re ready to make your own, here is our roundup of free patterns for you. These are all Fair Isle Cardigan sweaters. As you’ll see, though, there is so much variety among them. You’ll find sweaters for children and adults of any gender. You’ll find super colorful all-over designs and sweaters with only small bands of the design. Have fun exploring these options.

Folksy Yoke free cardigan pattern

Helpful Instruction:

Learn how to tuck Fair Isle floats as you knit! This video shows you how to advance your skills when working on these patterns. Learn more tips and techniques like this – SO MANY MORE – by signing up for Camp Colorwork, a knit and crochet colorwork course you can take online at your own pace.

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Marly Bird

The One and Only, Marly

Marly is a knitwear and crochet designer (and yarn addict) that is here to help you learn how to knit and crochet in a way that's fun and approachable.

Meet Marly

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