Knit wit: Christina likes Fair Isle Pic: On Location News/Rex Features
Rihanna, Christina Aguilera and Victoria Beckham have all been snapped wearing Fair Isle garments lately. And designers like D&G have picked it for their collections.
The jumpers are hand-made by experts on the tiny island between Orkney and Shetland.
But the fashion means that the half dozen or so genuine Fair Isle knitters are so busy they have closed their order books until halfway through next year.
Each jumper takes more than 120 hours to make.
Angela Wiseman, the secretary for Fair Isle Crafts, told the Herald: “We’re already putting people in the diary to contact next spring for jumpers.
“I think when we open up the diary again next year we’ll instantly have six months’ worth of work in there.”
She admits she is concerned about the future of the knitwear as it’s very difficult to lure new knitters to the island.
She said: “It’s hard to get new people to come on the island but we’re determined the knits will continue, because it does give people who live here a source of income.
“When people come to the island they want to find out about it and meet the people who make the jumpers.”
Fair Isle knits have been popular for almost 100 years, but lately have become beloved of the fashion industry.
There has been worry that the popularity of the style would damage its reputation.
Imitations are flooding the high street calling themselves Fair Isle.
Kathy added: “Designers could be more specific and actually credit the Fair Isle if that’s where they’ve sourced their patterns.
“Anything with reindeer and snowflakes on it hasn’t come from Fair Isle-inspired patterns.”
Original Fair Isle knitwear is supposed to date from the 16th century when a Spanish galleon was wrecked on the island. Tradition has it that islanders copied the Moorish sailors garments.
