Bryce Fairisle Band Sweater in West Yorkshire Spinners The Croft Shetland Colours - DBP0070 - Downloadable PDF

Bryce Fair Isle Band Sweater by Sarah Hatton – Pattern Summary

The Bryce Fair Isle Band Sweater is a knitting pattern designed by Sarah Hatton, published as a downloadable PDF. It is a classic pullover sweater featuring Fair Isle colourwork bands, worked in a timeless style that draws on the rich textile heritage of the Shetland Islands. This is an intermediate-level knitting project, making it well suited to knitters who are comfortable with basic garment construction and are ready to explore stranded colourwork techniques.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a Fair Isle band sweater — a traditional-style pullover adorned with one or more decorative colourwork bands worked in the iconic Fair Isle tradition. Fair Isle knitting originates from the Shetland Islands of Scotland and is characterised by repeating geometric and nature-inspired motifs worked in multiple colours across a row. The Bryce design interprets this heritage in a wearable, modern silhouette suitable for everyday wear.

Techniques Used

• Stranded colourwork (Fair Isle technique): The signature Fair Isle bands are created by carrying two or more yarn colours across each row, weaving or stranding the unused colour behind the work to create the characteristic dense, warm fabric. This technique requires managing yarn tension carefully to keep the fabric flat and even.
• Garment shaping: As a sweater pattern, Bryce involves standard knitted garment construction including shaping for armholes, neckline, and sleeves.
• Seaming and finishing: Knitted pieces are typically joined using mattress stitch or similar seaming methods to assemble the finished sweater.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (stockinette): The main body fabric is worked in stocking stitch, which provides a smooth, flat surface ideal for showcasing Fair Isle colourwork motifs.
• Rib stitch: Ribbing is commonly used at cuffs, hems, and neckbands in sweater patterns of this style to provide elasticity and a neat, fitted finish.
• Fair Isle colourwork motifs: Repeating geometric pattern stitches are worked across designated bands of the sweater using the stranded colourwork method.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written for West Yorkshire Spinners The Croft Shetland Colours, an aran weight yarn made from 100% Shetland wool. This yarn is produced in association with Jamieson & Smith, located in Lerwick, the capital of the Shetland Islands, who are long-established primary purchasers of the Shetland wool clip. Each hank contains 166 metres (182 yards) and weighs 100g.

The Croft Shetland Colours is available in twelve solid shades, each named after towns and villages across the Shetland Islands, including Norwick, Belmont, Fetlar, Ollaberry, Voxter, Sullom, Huxter, Melby, Laxfirth, Bixter, Lerwick, Tresta, Seafield, and Quendale. These timeless, rustic shades are designed to work beautifully together, making colour selection for Fair Isle colourwork both intuitive and visually rewarding.

Shetland wool is prized worldwide for its fineness, warmth, and strength. The high levels of crimp and wave in the fleece make it particularly well suited to hand knitting, offering both softness and durability — qualities that make it an excellent choice for a colourwork sweater intended for regular wear.

Needles and Tension

The pattern calls for 5mm (US 8) knitting needles. The stated tension is 18 stitches over 10cm / 4 inches in stocking stitch. Achieving correct tension is especially important in Fair Isle knitting, where carrying floats across the back of the work can tighten the fabric if not managed