No one actually knows for certain how the thistle rose to become the national emblem of Scotland, but one legend has it that a sleeping party of Scots warriors were saved from an ambush by an invading Norse army when one of their enemies trod on the spiky plant. His anguished cry roused the slumbering warriors, who duly vanquished the invaders and adopted the thistle as their national emblem. There is no doubt that whatever its origins in folklore, the thistle is loved and symbolises the beauty and strength of Scotland. I do hope you enjoy knitting this design that celebrates the lowly but beautiful thistle.

This beanie is incredibly warm because of its stranded colour work in Aran wool, which gives it a double layer of yarn at the back that traps warmth in. It features a row of thistles with saltire roots, enclosed in knotwork borders. It has a short purple knitted lining band, with a picot edge, which is knitted first, before the outside patterned layer. It is knitted in the round so there are no seams and only knit stitches are required, though you will also use purl when knitting the thistle cup. You may use either a set of double-pointed knitting needles or a circular knitting needle, depending on your preference, though you may still need double-pointed needles for the crown decreases. The beanie is finished with a knitted thistle pompom.

Only 2 colours are used at any one time, with the exception of the crown shaping, where there are 3. There are some long floats to the rear of the pattern, which need to be caught up.

Some experience in knitting fair isle or stranded colour work would be useful when knitting this design, although full instructions are given for the construction methods used.

Materials:

Aran weight Shetland wool or equivalent:

Actual amounts used are listed below, but please use this as a rough guide only, given that different brands may differ slightly.

The yardage of the yarn used was 95m/104yds per 50g. (Note: Beanie has a purple lining band)

Beanie:
Purple: 50g Cream: 40g Green: 35g

Knitting Needles:

One set of double-pointed 5mm (US 8) knitting needles are suggested for knitting the beanie and for the thistle ‘cup.’

Alternatively, you may use a circular knitting needle of the same size, if preferred.

Measurements (unstretched):

One size fit most: Circumference 21 inches / 54cm by length 9.5 inches / 24cm

Tension:

Approximately 18 stitches and 22 rows to 10cm over the pattern.