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.

The beanie and kep are both light as feathers, yet incredibly warm because of their double thickness. They feature thistles with saltire roots that are separated by knotwork borders. Both beanie and kep have purple knitted linings, which are knitted before the outside patterned layers and turned up to the inside of the hats to form a knitted hem. The kep can be worn as a long hat, with the top and crown draped down the back (or side) of the head, or can be folded up and worn as a shorter hat, exposing the contrasting purple lining, making it even cosier over the ears on the coldest of days.

They are both 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 cups. The beanie is finished with a knitted thistle pompom, which ties in with its thistle- leaf crown. The kep is finished with a thistle tassel, suspended by an I-cord from the knotwork-patterned crown.

Only 2 colours are used at any one time, with the exception of the crown shaping of the kep, where there are 3. There are some long floats to the rear of the patterned front layers, which need to be caught up, though many of these become trapped inside the lining, so do not need to be caught up, if you so choose.

Some experience in fair isle or stranded colour work is needed for these patterns, although full instructions are given for the construction methods used.

Materials:
4ply/Fingering 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 215m/236yds per 50g. (Note: Both beanie and kep have purple linings)

Beanie:
Purple: 38g Cream: 20g Green: 10g

Kep:
Purple: 42g Cream: 25g Green: 12g

Knitting Needles:

One set of double-pointed 3.25mm (US 3) knitting needles are suggested for knitting the patterned layers of the beanie and kep, for the thistle ‘cup’ and for the I-cord on the kep.

One set of double-pointed 3.00mm (US 2.5) knitting needles are suggested for knitting the linings for the beanie and the kep.

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

Measurements (unstretched):
One size fit most:

Beanie:
Circumference 21 inches / 54cm by length 9.5 inches / 24cm (Unstretched)

Kep:
Circumference 21 inches / 54cm by length 11inches / 28cm (Unstretched)

Tension:
Approximately 28 stitches and 36 rows to 10cm over the pattern.