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 colour work front layer and the plain-coloured stocking-stitch lining of both the cowl and snood are knitted separately. The two layers are then knitted together to join them. The cowl is finished using an I-cord bind-off technique, which gives the cowl a smooth corded edge. The snood is finished with a stocking stitch hem at the top and bottom. The top hem has 2 eyelets and houses a drawstring, which allows the snood to become a cosy hood that ties round the face. The drawstring is finished with knitted thistles on each end of it.

The cowl and snood are both light as feathers, yet incredibly warm because of the double thickness. They feature thistles with saltire roots that are separated by knotwork borders. Both layers of each are knitted in the round, so there are no seams and only knit stitches are required. The patterns require only 2 colours to be used at the same time. There are some long floats to the rear of the patterned front layers, but 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 cowl and snood have purple linings)

Cowl:
Purple: 77g Cream: 33g Green: 29g

Snood:
Purple: 163g Cream: 75g Green: 53g

Knitting Needles:
One set of double-pointed 3.25mm (US 3) knitting needles are suggested for knitting the patterned layers of the cowl and snood, for the I-cord bind-offs on the cowl and for the stocking-stitch edgings and I-cord drawstrings on the snood.

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

Alternatively, you may use a circular knitting needle of the same sizes and of length 80cm, if preferred.

Measurements (unstretched):
One size fit all:

Cowl:
Circumference 28 inches (72cm) by depth 12 inches (30cm)

Snood:
Circumference 36 inches (92cm) by depth 18 inches (45cm)

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

Your tension is not crucial for knitting the cowl or snood, though it is still a good idea to check your tension and adjust your needle size accordingly, in order to get your garment to drape as you desire.