Fair Isle is a style of stranded knitting from Shetland, named after Fair Isle, the small island between Shetland and Orkney. Each row uses just two colours, with the spare yarn carried across the back, and the patterns build up in horizontal bands of small geometric motifs such as crosses, diamonds and eight-pointed stars. It became fashionable in the early 1920s, when the Prince of Wales wore it, and it's been the backbone of the grown-up Christmas jumper ever since.
If you've ever pulled on a patterned jumper in December and felt instantly festive, there's a good chance it owed something to a few hundred people on an island in the North Atlantic. Here's where the knit comes from, why it says Christmas, and how to spot a good one on a second-hand rail. Our On the Rails pre-loved clothing is a good place to start looking.
Fair Isle pieces will also be in our Christmas Jumpers & Hoodies.
What makes a knit Fair Isle?
Fair Isle is a kind of stranded colourwork. You knit with two colours across a row, using one at a time, and the colour you aren't using is carried loosely behind the stitches. Those carried strands are called floats. Because the floats have to stay short to keep the fabric neat, each colour only runs for a few stitches before it swaps, which is why Fair Isle motifs are small and tightly packed.
A few things set Fair Isle apart from other stranded traditions:
- Two colours per row. A finished jumper can use many shades, but there are almost never more than two in any single row.
- Bands of motifs. Patterns run in horizontal stripes, often a wide band of large motifs (the classic "OXO" shapes and stars) alternating with narrow "peerie" bands of tiny ones.
- Careful shading. Colours shift gradually from band to band, with a clear contrast between background and pattern.
- Shetland wool. Traditionally it was knitted in Shetland wool, using the natural colours of the native sheep alongside dyed shades. The V&A notes that madder and indigo gave reds and blues, while lichens gave browns, oranges and purples.
Shetland's knitters' organisation points out that "Fair Isle" is now used loosely for almost any multicoloured knit, from Icelandic yokes to jumpers with reindeer on. Strictly, it's a specific Shetland tradition with its own character.
A short history of Fair Isle
The island and the Armada story
You'll often read that sailors shipwrecked on Fair Isle from the Spanish Armada in 1588 taught the islanders their colourful patterns. A ship from the Armada really was wrecked there, but the knitting part is a legend. The V&A says there's also evidence that the design influences came from nearby Scandinavia, and Shetland's own tourism body points out that the islands were in contact with Scandinavian and northern European traders and fishermen for centuries. Stranded colourwork turns up all over northern Europe, so it isn't surprising Shetland developed its own version.
From stockings to sweaters
Shetlanders knitted for trade long before Fair Isle was famous, selling stockings and gloves to Dutch and German merchants. The colourful patterned style we now call Fair Isle became popular from the mid-1800s, first on caps, scarves and stockings. According to the V&A, sweaters in the Fair Isle style weren't made until the First World War.
The Prince of Wales effect
The big moment came in the early 1920s. The Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) wore Fair Isle on the golf course, and a portrait of him by John St Helier Lander shows him in an allover Fair Isle jumper. Sources disagree on the exact year he first wore one, but the effect was clear: Fair Isle became the fashionable knit of the decade. Interestingly, the V&A notes that natural shades like brown, grey and white were preferred at the time, rather than the bright colours we picture now. Demand was strong enough that knitters across Shetland took up patterned knitting too.
Revivals ever since
Fair Isle came back in the 1960s, worn by the likes of Twiggy and Paul and Linda McCartney, and designers keep returning to it. Ralph Lauren put a Fair Isle sweater in his first collection. Along the way, "Fair Isle" and "Shetland" became general style names, so Shetland knitters adopted their own trade marks to show where a piece was genuinely made.
Why does Fair Isle feel so Christmassy?
Partly it's the colours. Deep reds, forest greens, cream and navy, knitted into star shapes, look festive before anyone adds a reindeer. Partly it's the warmth: a thick wool jumper with a double layer of yarn across every patterned row is exactly what you want on a cold December walk.
The rest comes from Fair Isle's close cousins. Scandinavian knitting traditions share the stranded technique, and their snowflakes, stars and pine trees fit the season perfectly. Over time the two looks have blended in shops and catalogues, and "Fair Isle" has become shorthand for a patterned winter knit. That's why so many Christmas jumpers borrow Fair Isle bands and Nordic snowflakes instead of novelty slogans. It's the version you can wear to a family lunch and still be happy in come January.
If you're after outfit ideas rather than history, we're putting together a guide to Christmas jumpers that aren't cringey.
How to spot a good second-hand Fair Isle jumper
A pre-loved Fair Isle can be a real find: properly knitted, in wool, and nothing like what's on the high street this year. A few checks will tell you what you've got.
Turn it inside out
This is the quickest test. A true stranded knit has short floats of yarn running across the back of each patterned row, so the inside looks like a tidy web of carried strands. If the inside is smooth and plain, the pattern may be printed on. If the inside shows a reversed or mirror-image pattern, or a dense second layer of fabric, it's more likely a machine jacquard. Jacquards can be lovely and warm, but they're a different construction from hand-style stranded Fair Isle.
Look at the pattern up close
Count the colours in a single row. Classic Fair Isle sticks to two. Small, symmetrical motifs in bands, with colours shading gradually, are a good sign. Large animals, slogans or photo-like designs point to a "Fair Isle style" knit rather than the tradition itself. That's fine if you love it; just pay for what it is.
Read the label
Check the fibre content. Wool (often Shetland or lambswool) is the traditional choice and tends to feel springy and slightly textured. Acrylic Fair Isle-style jumpers are common, softer to the touch at first, and usually cheaper. Remember that "Fair Isle" on a label describes the pattern, not where it was made. Genuine Shetland-made knitwear may carry its own maker's or origin mark, so if a seller claims a piece is island-made, ask how they know. Older hand-knits often have no label at all.
Check the condition
- Floats: look for snagged or pulled strands on the inside, especially at the cuffs and underarms, where fingers and watches catch.
- Moth holes: hold it up to the light and check around the neck, cuffs and hem.
- Felting: a wool jumper that's been through a hot wash can feel stiff and look shrunken, with the motifs blurred together.
- Bobbling: some is normal on worn wool and can be removed. Heavy bobbling under the arms is worth factoring into the price.
- Stretch: pull a cuff gently and let go. Good wool should spring back.
Why a pre-loved Fair Isle is worth hunting for
Every second-hand Fair Isle has its own colours and a bit of its own history, and once it's gone, it's gone. A well-made wool one will last for years of Decembers. Browse On the Rails for one-off knitwear, or look through Gifts Worth Discovering if you're shopping for someone who'd love a jumper with a story.