Fair Isle Snood

Fair Isle Snood by Michael Harrigan

What is Being Made

The Fair Isle Snood is a tall cowl designed to function as both a neck warmer and head covering. This downloadable knitting pattern creates a finished cowl measuring 24 inches in circumference and 19 inches in height, making it versatile enough to wear around the neck or pulled up over the head for additional warmth and coverage.

Craft and Primary Technique

This is a knitting project classified at an intermediate difficulty level. The pattern is designed by Michael Harrigan, a Certified Master Knitter and Knitting Technical Editor, ensuring professional-quality instruction and technical accuracy. The primary technique featured throughout this cowl is Fair Isle colorwork, a traditional method of knitting with multiple colors to create intricate patterned designs.

Fair Isle Motifs and Colorwork

The snood showcases several traditional Fair Isle motifs worked across the fabric using six distinct colorways. Fair Isle knitting involves carrying unused yarn colors inside the fabric while working with the active color, creating a dense, insulating textile. This technique requires attention to tension and color changes to maintain even stitches and prevent loose floats on the inside of the garment.

Stitches and Construction

The pattern is worked in the round using circular knitting needles, which is the standard construction method for cowls and seamless garments. The gauge for this Fair Isle pattern is 28 stitches and 32 rounds over 4 inches (10 centimeters) when measured in the Fair Isle pattern. The cowl begins with a cast-on of 176 stitches at the bottom edge, worked continuously in rounds to create the full height of the finished piece.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

This pattern calls for The Border Mill NORTH COAST TWEED, a pure Shetland 4-ply yarn. The yarn is worked at a weight classification of 4-ply, which is a light worsted or DK-weight yarn ideal for detailed colorwork. The six colorways used are:

• Color A – Assynt (2 balls)
• Color B – Beinn Eighe (1 ball)
• Color C – Wee Dram (1 ball)
• Color D – Beau Lieu (2 balls)
• Color E – Rowanberry (1 ball)
• Color F – Myrtle (1 ball)

Each ball of NORTH COAST TWEED contains 25 grams and yields 90 meters of yarn. Shetland wool is prized for its softness, elasticity, and traditional use in Fair Isle knitting, making it an authentic choice for this classic colorwork technique.

Tools and Equipment

The pattern requires a US size 3 (3.25mm) circular knitting needle measuring 16 inches (40 centimeters) in length. Additional tools needed include a stitch marker for tracking the beginning of each round and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends after completion.

Pattern Format

This is a downloadable PDF pattern created by independent designer Michael Harrigan. The pattern is provided for personal use and includes detailed technical information suitable for intermediate-level knitters with Fair Isle experience or those ready to develop colorwork skills.