This is the back of a Fair Isle sweater currently being knitted by Annelise. It is knitted in the round with the arm holes and 'v'-neck created by cutting a steek.
The pattern, Ralph' is interpreted by Susan Crawford in her book the Vintage Shetland Project from a sweater in the Shetland Museum archive. The original sweater was knitted by Doris Hunter for Ralph Patterson. It ended up with Ralph in a Japanese POW camp in Hong Kong during World War II.
The body pattern is knitted in the round, leaving a column of stitches to cut to make openings for the neck and the sleeves. The each side of the edge where the cut will be made is strengthened with a running stich.
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Inside view showing the stranded knitting of the Fair Isle pattern.
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Outside view before cutting.
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The arm hole steeks after cutting. Now ready to pick up stitches and knit down the sleeves.
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