Easy Fair Isle Sweaters for Kids and Adults

I was perusing the patterns on Lion Brand the other day, as one does, and I saw these two patterns that are not identical, but they’re related enough that you could make a mom and me pairing out of them. They also alerted me to the news that Lion Brand has a DK weight yarn now, which I definitely need to check out!

To start with the kid-sized version, the Mercer Street Pullover is worked from the top down in five colors and is rated easy. It comes in sizes for kids ranging from 6 to 12 years (four sizes in all), with chest measurements ranging from 28 to 33 inches, or 71 to 84 cm. The colorwork is Fair Isle style, meaning you’re only working with two colors at a time. This pattern does require you to be able to read charts.

The adult-sized Fair Isle Pullover also uses five colors, but the patterns used on this pullover are a little different. (You’ll still need to be able to read charts to complete this one, but it’s really not hard!). The pattern is rated easy and is available in eight sizes, ranging in chest measurement from 36 to 64 inches, or 91.5 to 162.5 cm.

Either of these patterns would be a fun way to learn the basics of Fair Isle (and chart reading if you’re not already comfortable with that) and get yourself and/or a little someone you like to knit for a colorful way to stay warm through the rest of the winter.

Both patterns are free on the Lion Brand website as linked above.

Looking for more fun projects to try out Fair Isle knitting? This sweater from Wool & Pine only has colorwork on the sleeves and pocket, so it’s another great way to work a bit of stranded knitting without committing to a full multicolored project.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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It might seem weird to feature a book about protest movements around the Fourth of July, but as Rise Up! Powerful Protests in American History reminds us, protest is patriotic and part of the very fabric of American life from the beginning.

This picture book, written by history teacher Rachel C. Katz and illustrated by Sophie Bass, tells a rhyming story of how Americans have stood up throughout the nation’s history to protest and spread the word about injustice and unsafe conditions. From the Boston Tea Party to modern movements like the Standing Rock pipeline protests and the Obergefell case, it touches on women’s rights, environmental activism, civil rights, Pride, access for disabled people and more.

The illustrations, often based on historic protest signs and artwork, help tell the stories, while a timeline, map, and overview of each event for further discussion. Readers will learn about Silent Spring and The Jungle, the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike, the Seneca Falls convention, Robert Smalls, the Delano Grape Strike and the movement to un-dam the Klamath River, to name a few.

Each event includes a few bullet points to provide context about what happened, why and what the result was. The book reminds readers that protests are not always effective, or don’t always get the people involved what they want right away (since it took women 72 years to get the right to vote after Seneca Falls, for example).

This book is a great way to introduce kids to the long and proud history of protest movements in the United States and could prompt discussions about current events and things happening that they might want to see changed. It could also be used to start kids researching different protests discussed in the book for further learning. You can talk about how art can educate people and encourage kids to make their own art pieces to educate others about something important to them.

Rise Up! is a great starting point for learning about the history of protest and the effects it has had on American history. The publisher’s website has more resources for teaching with this book at the link below.

About the book: 48 pages, hardcover. Published 2025 by Barefoot Books. Suggested retail price $17.99.

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