Traditional Fair Isle Yoke Pullover

This Fair Isle sweater pattern is the perfect foray into stranded colorwork!

Fair Isle sweater patterns are well known for their gorgeous colors and intricate designs. If you're up for the challenge of color work, the Traditional Fair Isle Yoke Pullover will be a rewarding project. The colorful yoke around the shoulders of this sweater is a fun take on traditional sweater patterns.

With a little bit of effort, this colorful pullover could easily become one of your favorite knit sweater patterns. Yoke sweaters have been all the rage lately. The Fair Isle style of using two colors per row with higher features on a darker background makes this sweater a great combination of modern hygge and traditional knitting styles and places this sweater in the Fair Isle style of stranded knitting.

NotesThe instructions are written for smallest size. If changes are necessary for larger sizes the instructions will be written thus ( ).

Intermediate

Knitting Needle Size8 or 5 mm, Circular Knitting Needles, Double-Pointed Knitting Needles (DPNs)

Yarn Weight(4) Medium Weight/Worsted Weight and Aran (16-20 stitches to 4 inches)

Gauge18 sts and 24 rows = 4 ins [10 cm] in stocking st.

Finished SizeFinished bust XS/S (M-L-XL-2/3XL-4/5XL): 37 (41-45-49-58-66) ins [94 (104-114.5-124.5-147.5-167.5 cm].

Materials List

Bernat® Super Value (197 g / 7 oz)

-MC: #07711 (Navy) 3 (3-3-3-3-3) balls

-A: #53116 (Faded Denim) – 1 ball

-B: #07414 (Natural) – 1 ball

or

Bernat® Berella 4 (100 g / 3.5 oz)

-MC: #08965 (Navy) – 5(5-6-7-8-8) balls

-A: #01142 (True Periwinkle Blue) – 1 ball

-B: #08940 (Natural) – 1 ball
Size 5 mm (U.S. 8) circular knitting needle – 29 ins [75 cm] long.
Set of four 5 mm (U.S. 8) doubl e-pointed knitting needlesor size needed to obtain gauge.

If you're looking for easy fair isle knitting patterns, this is the perfect place. Whether you're just beginning to learn colorwork or a seasoned pro, you'll keep coming back to this list of17 Fair Isle Knitting Patterns

Instructions

Yoke Color Chart
Chart Key

BODY

With MC, cast on 166 (184-200-220-260-300) sts. Join in rnd, placing marker on first st.

Work in (K1. P1) ribbing for 6 ins [15 cm].

Knit in rnds for 14 (14-14½-14½-15-15) ins [35.5 (35.5-37-37-38-38) cm] from beg.

Next rnd: [K83 (92-100-110-130-150). Slip last 8 (11-14-14-18-18) sts onto a length of yarn for underarm] twice. Leave all sts on a spare needle.

SLEEVES

With double- pointed needles and MC, cast on 46 (46-48-50-54-54) sts.

Divide sts onto 3 needles and join in rnd, placing marker on first st.

Work in (K1. P1) ribbing for 6 ins [15 cm].Knit in rnds, inc 1 st at beg and end of next and every following 8th (8th-8th-6th-4th-4nd) rnd to 64 (66-68-76-84-90) sts.

Cont even for 18½ (19-19-18½-18- 17½) ins [47 (48-48-47-45.5-44.5) cm] from beg.

Next rnd: K60 (61-61-69-75-79). Slip last 4 (5-7-7-9-9) sts and first 4 (6-7-7-9-9) sts of rnd onto a length of yarn for underarm. Break yarn. Leave rem 56 (55-54-62-66-72) sts on a spare needle.

YOKE

1st rnd: With MC, [K56 (55-54-62-66-72) for sleeve. Place marker on needle. K75 (81-86-96-112-132) for body. Place marker on needle] twice. 262 (272-280-316-356-408) sts.

2nd rnd: Knit, inc 1 (dec 1-dec 1-inc 1-dec 1-0) st at beg of rnd. 263 (271-279-317-355-408) sts.

3rd rnd: (K2tog. Knit to 2 sts before marker. Sl1. K1. psso) 4 times.

Knit 3 rnds. Rep last 4 rnds 0 (1-2-3-4-5) time(s) more. 255 (255-255-285-315-360) sts.

Knit in chart to end of Chart, reading rnds from right to left and noting 15-st rep will be worked 17 (17-17-19-21-24) times.

With MC, work 3 ins [7.5 cm] in (K1. P1) ribbing. Cast off.

FINISHING

Graft underarms.

What's your favorite way to include Fair Isle colorwork in your knitting?
Let us know in the comments!

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erikaml 2864574

Nov 28, 2020

GrannyGoode could you explain about the question Raynen put forward please , Pam tried to but neither she could see it clear ? Thanks amidst Covid19 times and approching Xmas !

Raynen

Jan 05, 2018

Everything made sense up until the yoke. It says to repeat last FOUR rounds, but only three are written on the pattern. Then it says knit 3 rounds. Does that mean the repeat last 4 rounds means the last 3 knit plus the 2nd round? My stitch number wont match the pattern. Its a shame because everything else makes sense and it looks so nice.

Pam 8477643

Feb 04, 2019

I think it means to repeat the 3rd round once more, so that you decrease a further 8 stitches (263-255 on smallest size), then repeat that round if necessary for other sizes. It's not written very well!

annad013

Jun 21, 2017

Love this sweater! The colors are so beautiful and wintery and I really like the turtleneck aspect! When I finally get around to knitting a sweater I will definitely have to try this one!

Editor JD

Oct 30, 2014

Hi Knitters! Sometimes the patterns in our newsletters are re-named to spark interest. The Christmas Cookie Sweater was meant to lead to the Traditional Fair Isle Yoke Pullover. We think it looks like the decorations of a traditional holiday cookie, don't you think? :) -Editors of AllFreeKnitting

ttregask

Oct 30, 2014

I too was looking for the Christmas Cookie Sweater - but the link goes to the Fair Isle sweater????? Please make sure your links go to the right spot - this isn't the first time they have gone to a wrong sweater!!

cindyrainbow 69848 13

Nov 18, 2013

I was looking for the Christmas Cookie Sweater - but link goes to Traditional sweater above?

GrannyGoode

Nov 02, 2013

Now it's my turn to ask a question. Been all over the website, especially this Fair Isle Yoke Pullover Pattern, and I can't seem to find a satisfactory way to print out a copy of the pattern. I went to the itty-bitty blue-colored "P" up in the right hand corner next to FB, Pinterest, Twitter and all that, brought down the submenu, and there was indeed a "Print" button. Tried that, only got one page showing yardage needed, etc. No instructions. Plenty of paper, ink, printer is fine, so no problem there. DO WE HAVE A 'PRINTER-FRIENDLY' OPTION THAT WE MIGHT MAKE USE OF? Don't want to cause no trouble, just gotta work up this pretty sweater for my sisters for Christmas 2014. Thank you so much for your help. Sandy Goode

GrannyGoode

Nov 02, 2013

Problem solved and mission accomplished! Just a cantankerous first try, I guess. Thanks, y'all, for puttin' up with me. xo

noreengoodwin 1450 256

Oct 31, 2013

Where do I find the Chart for the Yoke pattern?

GrannyGoode

Nov 02, 2013

Hello Noreen, If you will look just below the beginning of the paragraph titled "Introduction," you will find two entries written in green: 'Yoke Color Chart' and 'Chart Key.' I clicked on each one and printed each one, labeled each one neatly and placed them in my handy-dandy li'l knittin' notebook, making reference to the pattern on this website. Going to work it up for my sister. Actually, all four of them! Hope this helps, Hon. Happy Thanksgiving to ya! Sandy Goode :)