Blue Sky Fibers Faux Fair Isle Set

Blue Sky Fibers Faux Fair Isle Set by Sylvia Hager – Knitting Pattern Summary

The Faux Fair Isle Set is a charming collection of coordinating knitted accessories designed by Sylvia Hager and published by Blue Sky Fibers (formerly Blue Sky Alpacas). The set includes a hat, mittens, and a scarf, each worked in a clever slipped-stitch colorwork technique that mimics the intricate look of traditional Fair Isle knitting without requiring the complexity of stranded colorwork. Thanks to the use of Blue Sky Bulky yarn and large needles, every piece in this collection knits up quickly, making it an ideal project for adventurous beginners and intermediate knitters alike.

Design Overview and Colorwork Technique

The defining feature of this pattern is its faux Fair Isle effect, achieved entirely through a slipped stitch pattern rather than traditional two-handed stranded knitting. By slipping stitches purlwise while alternating between a main color (MC) and a contrast color (CC), the fabric develops a richly textured, multicolored appearance that closely resembles classic Fair Isle designs. This technique is far more approachable than true Fair Isle, as only one color is ever worked per round, yet the visual result is impressively complex and decorative.

The core stitch repeat follows a four-round sequence:

• Round 1: With CC, *k2, sl 1; repeat from * to end of round
• Round 2: With CC, knit all stitches
• Round 3: With MC, *k2, sl 1; repeat from * to end of round
• Round 4: With MC, knit all stitches

This four-round repeat is worked multiple times to build the colorwork section, after which the remainder of each piece is completed in stockinette stitch using the main color alone. The slipped stitches create elongated loops of the alternate color that float elegantly across the fabric surface, producing the signature Fair Isle-inspired striped and dotted visual texture.

Faux Fair Isle Hat

The Striped Hat is worked entirely in the round from the bottom up using double-pointed needles (dpns) in size 15 (10 mm). It begins with a k2, p1 ribbed brim worked over multiple rounds in the main color, which provides a neat, stretchy edge that sits comfortably on the head. The colorwork section follows immediately above the ribbing, using the four-round faux Fair Isle repeat described above. After the decorative band is complete, the hat continues in plain stockinette stitch in MC until the piece reaches the desired length before crown shaping begins.

The hat is offered in multiple sizes to accommodate a range of head circumferences, with cast-on counts of 39, 45, or 51 stitches for the three size options. Crown shaping is worked by decreasing stitches at regular intervals to draw the top of the hat to a neat finish.

Hat Materials

• Yarn: Blue Sky Bulky (100 g / 45 yds per hank) — 2 hanks MC, 1 hank CC for the hat alone
• Needles: Size 15 (10 mm) double-pointed needles
• Notions: Stitch markers, tapestry needle

Faux Fair Isle Mittens

The Striped Mittens are worked as a matched pair (make 2), each constructed in the round from the bottom up on size 15 (10 mm) double-pointed needles. Like the hat, each mitten begins with a k2, p1 ribbed cuff worked in the main color, followed by the same four-round faux Fair Isle colorwork sequence. After the decorative band, the mitten body continues in stockinette stitch in MC.

A key construction feature of the mittens is the thumb gusset, which is shaped using make-one (m1) increases placed on either side of two stitch markers. The g