Spotlight on Technique: Fairisle

Discover the story behind ERIBÉ’s iconic Fairisle knits – from the remote Scottish islands to modern innovation, see how tradition, colour, and craftsmanship come together in every stitch.

ERIBÉ is synonymous with the innovation of one of the best-known traditional knitting techniques, Fairisle.

The Fairisle pattern is named after the small isolated island called Fair Isle, which lies midway between Shetland and Orkney, in the very north of Scotland. Fairisle is a type of knitting that uses at least two colours in one row to form horizontal, clearly defined geometric patterns.

Knitting probably reached the islands from mainland Scotland around AD 1500. The small or “peerie” Shetland sheep, native to the islands, produce ideal wool for spinning and knitting. These crafts did not develop into a major cottage industry until the 16th century.

The wool has wonderful properties, not only having fine, strong fibres, but becoming soft and hard-wearing over time. Importantly for Fairisle patterns, this wool takes on striking colours with great clarity, resulting in luminous, colourful fabrics.

In 1850, the northern Scottish islands were busy with maritime traders, stopping en route to America from Spain and the Baltic countries. Patterns from these countries were copied, developed, and passed on from croft to croft. Colours were bright with indigo blue, madder red, and yellow, contrasted with natural undyed black, browns, greys, and creams.

By the early 1900s, Fairisle knitting became increasingly popular, especially in the 1920s when the royal family were seen sporting these brightly coloured pullovers. This period marked a great innovation in knitting, turning fisherman’s working garments into leisure wear for all classes and helping the Scottish islands prosper.

We knit some of our Fairisle designs in Shetland to preserve the craftsmanship, authenticity, and heritage of Scottish knitwear.

By playing with proportion, colour, and introducing touches of special-effect yarns, ERIBÉ has innovated Fairisle from its homespun roots to give it worldwide appeal.

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