I created a Fair Isle Slipover to wear cycling to my studio and on our long journeys around Ireland, France, Spain and the Himalayas. I still have the original from 1985 and pulling it from a drawer earlier this year, we all agreed that I should revisit it. We have created two beautiful colourways : Northern Lights and Sea Glass, and I have named the pattern Lyra, in homage to Philip Pullman’s wonderful character in “His Dark Materials”. Lyra is a woman of our time; Daring, Fearless, Intelligent and Kind. A true inspiration.

The pattern uses the beautiful 1 & 1 Fair Isle Rib for the welt of Lyra, using all the colours that appear in the main design. The garment is knitted in the round and divides for front and back, with a sloping back shoulder cast off and a very special neckline in rib. This is a great design for wearing in many different ways.
Special notes for the design:
Sloping Edge Cast Off (for Fronts and Back): Work to the last stitch on the row before the cast off, do not work the stitch but slip it and turn. Slip the next stitch un-worked and pass the first slipped stitch over, work the rest of the cast-off sts.

Fair Isle Rib: When working the rib on row 1(RS) carry both colours at the back of the work, bringing the contrast colour forward to Purl and then back again after the stitch, to carry behind the MC knit stitch. Reverse for Row 2 (WS). The purl stitch is there to stop the cast on curling and adds lovely texture.

Jogless stripe technique: To achieve the perfect stripe here is our suggestion:
Knit your first stripe and change colour as usual. Knit the first round of the second colour. When you come to the first stitch of the second round, pick up the stitch from the round below (i.e. the first stitch in the last round of the first and knit it together with the next stitch (the first stitch of the first round in the second colour). This turns the stitch of the first colour into a stretched stitch, which neatly hides the jog.