When I think about ‘A Highland Glen,’ I always picture heather-coloured mountains, golden bracken, thistles and fir trees and if a few Highland cows are grazing there, it makes it an even more magical place for me. This has given me the inspiration for this hat, which I hope you will enjoy knitting.

It is a long hat or kep and is knitted in the round, using either circular knitting needles or sets of double-pointed knitting needles, depending on your preference, so there is no seam and only knit stitches are required for the main picture sections. There is a ribbed cuff to the hat, which is sandwiched between 2 purled braids and there is a further purled braid just before the crown shaping. Only 2 colours are used in each row, with the exception of the Highland Cow section, which uses 3 colours in some rows. The hat is finished with a tassel, which has been sculpted into a Highland cow, with crocheted horns and nose, though an ordinary tassel or pompom may be substituted, if you prefer. Some experience of fair isle or stranded colour work is needed for this pattern.

Materials

4ply/Fingering Shetland wool or equivalent:

The actual amounts of yarn I have used are listed, but please use this as a rough guide, given that different brands may differ slightly. The yardage of the wool I used was 215m/236yds per 50g.

Background – 30g Purple - 8g
Orange - 27g Brown - 5g
Green - 13g

Knitting Needles:

I used one set of 4 double-pointed knitting needles, size 3.25mm (US 3) for the rib and one set of size 3.5mm (US 4) for the rest of the hat. Alternatively, you may use 40cm circular needles in these sizes, if preferred. I used a 3.5mm crochet hook for the tassel cord and a 1.75mm crochet hook for the Highland cow horns and nose.

Measurements

One size fits most (Finished measurement approx. 21ins/54cm, without stretching).

Tension

Approximately 26 sts and 30 rows to 10cm. It is a good idea to check your tension and adjust your needle sizes accordingly, before knitting your hat, although exact tension is not crucial in fair isle knitting.