Kokkaloorie was first published in Mary Jane Mucklestone’s book Fair Isle Weekend. The hardback book is available in 2 versions: in English and in Finnish.

Now available as an individual pattern!

Now an individual pattern!

This pattern is published in Mary Jane Mucklestone’s book Fair Isle Weekend. The book is available in 2 versions: in English and in Finnish.

This pattern is published in Mary Jane Mucklestone’s book Fair Isle Weekend.

Lakeway Beret is knit from the brim to the i-cord tippy top, with fair isle patterning along the way. The crown has beautiful patterning within wedge-shaped sections achieved by Centered Double Decreases. The flat aspect of the hat is produced by washing and blocking on a plate or flat disc of cardboard cut to size.

Sticks & Stripes is a collaboration with Wing & A Prayer Farm and Long Island Yarn & Farm. Tammy and Tabitha, farm and fiber friends, asked me to make something with their complementary farm yarns. Featuring a bold geometric motif in natural sheep colors, the Sticks & Stripes Cowl highlights the best that farm yarns have to offe...

Phippsburg is a cute, fashion-forward slightly cropped stranded colorwork vest. Striped ribbing trims the waist, round neckline, and armhole openings.

A modern lopapeysa worked at a loose gauge for a deliciously lightweight cardigan. Based on the popular Stopover Pullover, with endless color possibilities. It is knit entirely in the round from the bottom ribbing, with a column of stitches in the front for the steek.

Windrock, an oversized cropped pullover with a wide neckline and graphic yet old-fashioned colorwork pattern. Works up quickly in Aran-weight yarn. Knit with two colors, or go wild with three!

Pretty Scandinavian Hearts and charming tiny pattern motifs worked in stranded knitting help to keep your hands warm. A secret heart just for you is worked in duplicate stitch on the inside of the left thumb.

Cozy and quick winter hat with a sparkling diamond fair isle pattern. The super bulky yarn creates a bold and modern graphic look. Knit circularly from brim to crown and topped with a pompom. Different gauges determine the size. Start knitting on the Solstice and finish by Christmas!

A comfy winter cowl, with a graphic stranded colorwork pattern motif inspired by mountain peaks

Darling Pincushion: A Color Study

A youthful cowl comprised of diagonal lines inspired by the angled knitting of Maine fiber artist Katharine Cobey. Zigzags zip up and down the piece and invert to form concentric diamonds. Contrasting colors make lines pop and fade and cause the lines to shimmer.

Hikeover was designed for a trek I took between two glaciers in southern Iceland. I wanted a warm and very lightweight pullover that could be compacted down in my backpack and serve as a pillow if needed. Knitting Léttlopi at a fairly loose gauge gave me the fabric that I wanted, the loft and fuzz of the Icelandic wool filling in the spaces in ...

Dash Happy cheers with a garter-stitch-colorwork stitch pattern!

Fair Isle vest with classic OXO pattern motifs that knits up quickly using a DK weight yarn. Knit in the round from the bottom up, with steeks for V-neck and arm openings. A good project for knitters new to stranded knitting and entertaining enough for experts!

Originally designed for Making Magazine No. 6: Black & White

Worked entirely in the round, this sweet little tank top (or vest in American English) uses steek bridges to create arm and neck openings. Steek tutorial included with pattern instructions.

For many years my family and I lived in a 200 year old Maine farmhouse. I loved to plant sunflowers beside the back door, the brilliant yellow petals contrasted beautifully with the deep red clapboards and attracted all sorts of bird visitors. I loved the giant scale of them, making us feel tiny yet magical, like the wee folk! May these mitts r...

Published in collaboration with

Short and sweet, Tyng Street Socks have a darling peerie pattern circling the ankle twice in opposite colorways. The heels and toes boldly contrast with the body of the sock. Peerie Socks are perfect for using up oddments of yarn from your stash, change them up all over the place, they don’t need to match! They can be the “same only different”.

Sólbein means sunbeam in Icelandic.

Scandi Cowl features some of my favorite motifs, adapted from my book 150 Scandinavian Motifs. A super way to practice and explore the beauty of Scandinavian stranded knitting. Knit as a long tube in the round beginning with provisional cast on and joined with kitchener stitch after blocking to form a continuous loop.

Simple mitts, light as a feather, made

Pine Star hat is a wintery woodland hat, inspired by the Selbu mittens of Norway, where pine bough and star patterns are often used in combination. Stripes in the ribbed brim often feature in Selbu

Originally designed for Making Magazine No.3 / Dots

Sweet hat featuring cheerful colors and a simple fair isle pattern. Designed especially for New England Fiber Art Summit at Wing and A Prayer Farm in Vermont using yarn created by Tammy White and Ellen Mason, but easily substituted. Pattern debut at Squam Arts Spring 2017.

Finished measurements

Wildflowers Cap originally appeared in the first issue of the print publication Making : Flora, by Carrie Hoge.

Istex 25th Anniversary Celebration Design

Inspired by the yellow lichen on granite rocks found in

Voe Vest worked entirely in the round is a great quick fair isle project using DK weight yarn.

In Maine we need mitts even in summer! Perfect for breezy days and evening sails. Nautical stripes combined with stranded colorwork anchors - Mitts Ahoy! Kept simple with an afterthought thumb. Offered in one size, for larger or smaller mitts; change your needle size accordingly or use thicker or thinner yarn.

An old school Maine Wool sweater, the kind we wear year round in all seasons. For winter hauling wood through to summer evenings on the lobster boat. Nash Island is knit old school too, entirely flat, with the color work “lice” happening only on the right side to make it easy. Modified drop shoulder with a neckline placket that laces up to a sn...

A Quick Fun Knit

A slouchy beanie for the masses. I made the first as a going away gift for my nephew Weston when he went off to college in Montana. I liked it so much I made another for myself! Now the whole neighborhood wants one!

A modern Icelandic style lopapeysa worked at a loose gauge for a deliciously lightweight garment. Stopover is knit entirely in the round with subtle waist shaping Inspired by my week long Stopover in Iceland!

This Scandinavian style beanie is a great way to begin your happy colorwork knitting pursuits! It begins with small easy to memorize pattern repeats. If you decide to make the slouchy beanie, you progress to a more challenging “kross og kringle” (cross and circle) pattern common to traditional sweaters found in Norway’s Setesdal Valley. Advance...

small and sweet!

Pattern coming soon!

These mitts were designed for The Net Loft Fiber and Friends Knitting Retreat held in Cordova, Alaska, the launching point for the Copper River Salmon Run.

This graphic knit is a perfect addition to any wardrobe. I find myself wearing it in all seasons.

Visiting Eureka, CA, I was taken by the elaborate, lacy yet structured fretwork on the pointy Victorian homes. There was a storm while I was there -- the beach sand appeared dark brown and the sea frothed with white caps, so that informed my color choices. The resulting geometric colorwork pattern makes them as suitable for the city sophisticat...

A stellar first stranded colorwork project!

Deeply ribbed slouchy hat with a snappy fair isle pattern, topped with a dashing dotted pom-pom!

YOU DON’T EVEN NEED A PATTERN FOR THIS!!!!

Needles & Notions: Size 2 US/2.75 mm circular needle, 16”/40 cm and 24”/60 cm long; size 3 US/3.25 mm circular needle, 24”/60 cm long; set of five double-pointed needles size 3 US/3.25 mm; stitch markers; tapestry needle; waste yarn; sewing machine and thread; scissors; five ¾” (20 mm) buttons

Ankle and foot circumference: 8 ¾ (9 ¾,

I was hungry but had no sweets so I

Darling Fingerless Mitts based on motif # 172 in my book 200 Fair Isle Motifs

Just the thing for Halloween, but good for any occasion! They make great gifts, ornaments and cat toys!

A sweet fair isle infant hat offered in two smashing colorways. A great first project for Fair Isle knitting. Great for using up odd bits of yarn.

Approximate Yardage for each color:

New Sizes! XS-XXL

Mary Jane Mucklestone likes to knit hats as a way to experiment with color combinations and Fair Isle patterns.  This stocking cap explores a "limited" palette of fourteen colors (Mary Jane has used as many as thirty in a single project), with one color grouping for the pattern and another for the background.  An occasional dab of a ...

A fun fair isle knit! Decreases in the plain rounds shape the tam, until the very top, where a double centered decrease is employed. A variety of border and peerie patterns keep the knitting interesting. With an updated fit, this tam has a slouchy casual feel, perfect for a crisp fall apple-picking weekend, or cool summer evenings at the beach.

Sweet fair isle socks inspired by star filled summer evenings spent on the shores of

Comfy wrap sweater sure to become a favorite. Notice the super secret pockets hidden behind the festive colorwork.

Andean Mitts

This is one of our clan’s favorite hats. It is simple, a satisfyingly quick knit and fits a lot of different head sizes, and personalities. Best of all it does not take a lot of yarn so its a pretty good stash buster. The body of the hat takes a little less than 125 yds of bulky weight yarn, and the pompoms only add another 20 or so.

Wear as a fingerless mitt or a sweet frilled cuff, a welcome remedy for cold hands as well as great fashion accent.

A hat for all seasons! Fun to knit and even more fun to wear-

Cheerful to look at, fun to knit, delightful to wear! December Lights Tam was featured on the cover of Interweave Knits Holiday Gift Issue.