250 miles west of Norway, Fair Isle is the UK’s most remote, permanently inhabited island. It is a place of worship for bird spotters, knitters, and knitwear enthusiasts.
The islands have been inhabited since the Bronze Age. There is an early Christian settlement at Kirkigeo and an Iron Age promontory fort at Landberg. Place names date from the Norse settlement days in the ninth century. The island was bought by the National Trust For Scotland in 1954 by George Waterston, the “Bird Man of Fair Isle”. He opened the original observatory (locally known as “The Obs”) as a hostel in 1948. The observatory, destroyed by fire in 2019, is currently being rebuilt.
The island at the 59th north parallel boasts seven people per square kilometer. A major landmark is a 1935 telephone box. And, at Vaasetter, there are the remains of German the Heinkel downed in 1941 by RAF Hurricanes. The two crew members who died are buried in Fair Isle’s graveyard.
In November 1939, Shetland was the first part of mainland Britain to be bombed in the Second World War. Only a rabbit was killed giving rise to the song “Run, Rabbit Run”. The lighthouse keeper’s wife was killed when Fair Isle was bombed.
The 85-foot South Lighthouse was built in 1891 by the cousin of the writer Robert Louis Stevenson. In 1998 it was the last lighthouse in Scotland to be demanned. Its foghorn was the country’s last to be dismantled.
But Fair Isle is most famous for its migratory birds. And it’s folksy, never-out-of-style jumpers.
The best place to find out about the history of Fair Isle knitting is Shetland and its museums.
The Shetland Islands began and continued their distinctive colorwork technique, which involves using two colors in a single row or knitting round. Very rarely, three colors were used in a row.
The origins of Shetland Fair Isle knitting can be traced back to the late 19th century when a group of women began to incorporate multiple colors into their knitting. They used a technique known as stranded knitting, where background and pattern colors are skillfully blended, usually using just two colors in a row/round. This created a distinctive woven effect, which became the hallmark of Shetland Fair Isle knitting.
At first, the patterns were simple and geometric, but as the technique evolved, the designs became more intricate and varied. The women of Shetland began to create sweaters, hats, and gloves featuring designs inspired by the natural world, such as stars, flowers, birds, and sea creatures
In 1921, a collection of Shetland Fair Isle garments was exhibited at the British Industries Fair, where they were seen by fashion designers and buyers from around the world.
Says author, professional knitter, and former speed knitting champion (255 stitches in three minutes) Hazel Tindall: “In the 1930s, the fashion industry embraced the style, with designers such as Coco Chanel and Jean Patou creating their own interpretations of the traditional Shetland Fair Isle patterns.”
The patterns continue to evolve, with contemporary designers incorporating new color palettes and styles while still honoring traditional techniques.
Like the Brora Collection worn by Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Edinburgh. Fair Isle knits came to fame under an earlier Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) in the 1920s, and have remained a favorite of the British royal family ever since. They have never lost their popularity among the general public either.
Everyone now has a new, contemporary take on Fair Isle pattern including We Norwegians and The White Company, as well as Doen, Tory Burch, Thom Browne, Bogner, Boden, Maje, Loro Piana, Naadam. Polo Ralph Lauren, All Saints, Veronica Beard, Khaite, Zimmerman, Alexander McQueen, Stella MacCartney, Derek Lam, Miu Miu ($1000 intarsia), Purdey (£17000 Kestral cashmere crew neck) and Celtic & Co.
The Croft House is the best place to buy Shetland-style designs made in Scotland, using Abderdeenshire wool. Comments Louise Hepworth who founded the Petershead-based company in 2012: “A local woollen mill had closed down a few months before after more than 200 years of weaving, which I thought was a terrible loss. Having a love of textiles, I wanted to create a business that continued on the legacy of the Scottish textile industry by establishing a contemporary brand with its roots in heritage designs. Be the Fair Isle of Gansey. I am also influenced by the colors of the Scottish landscape.”
The Croft House’s Lido pattern was inspired by the Art Deco architecture of the 1920s and 30s. At that time many towns, particularly those by the sea had an outdoor swimming pool called a lid. In the days before foreign travel, a trip to a lido was a way to experience a little piece of continental life in Britain.
The Drumtochty pattern was inspired by the magnificent St Palladius Church at Drumtochty in the south of Aberdeenshire. Hidden away in the forest of Drumtochty Glen, the gothic splendor of this fairy-tale church is a surprise in such a remote location. Pitmeddon was inspired by the National Trust for Scotland’s Pitmedden garden by Ellon which is laid out as a formal parterre with designs dating back to 1675.
The Crathie cardigan was inspired by Crathie Kirk, a small rural church on Deeside famous for its connection with the Royal Family due to its proximity to Balmoral Castle
Adds Shetland Islander Tindall: “In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in preserving the traditional techniques of Shetland Fair Isle knitting.
“I was privileged to grow up in Shetland where I was surrounded by knitters who needed to knit quickly and accurately in order to gain an income. There were three generations of knitters in our family home – my grandmother, mother, aunt, and older sister. One of my earliest memories is being sent outside to check if I could see my grandmother making her way down the hillside – by that time she would have been about 80, carrying a kinship of peat on her back and knitting as she walked. It’s over fifty years now since I knitted my first Fair Isle cardigan.!”
Jamieson & Smith sell two of my designs: Eid Top is sold as a kit and Peat Hill is in their book, “Knit Real Shetland”.
Old Field Clothing is a specialist in Fair Isle offering jumpers, cardigans, and slipovers in authentic 1920-1940s knits such as “The Pretty”. “The Florence”, “Haworth” and “Wethered Ladies.”
And for the men – “The Henry Cotton”, “the Harry Vardon”, “The Bertram”, “The Munro” and “The Haig”.
Continues Hazel: “I like the designs by Alison Rendall, Terri Laura, Wilma Malcolmson, Elizabeth Johnston, Ella Gordon – all Shetlanders.
“Traditionally Shetland knitters don’t follow written patterns and in the past, some knitters couldn’t read such a thing. We calculate how many stitches are needed for whatever we’re going to knit then figure out which patterns can be made to fit that number. The oldest patterns are those which are seven rows or less.”
As Vogue has commented: “A Fair Isle sweater is a mood. It’s the physical embodiment of cozy weekends in farmhouses and chalets; the clothing equivalent of hot cocoa—perfectly familiar and never too sweet.”
Adds Hazel; “I’ve actually never been to Fair Isle! This year, surely!”
