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.

The hat and scarf are both knitted in the round and match each other perfectly. They have wee climbing thistles adorning them, which are bordered by chains of Celtic knots and more wee thistles.

The hat has a plain-coloured stocking-stitch lining to the depth of its knots and thistles border. It can be worn as a long, slouchy hat or the brim can be turned up for extra warmth on the coldest of days. It has a gathered picot crown, which gives the impression of the thistle plants all tangling at the top of the hat.

The scarf is 60 ins/150 cm long and is wonderfully thick. The first half is knitted bottom-up to the centre back of the neck, then the pattern is mirrored vertically to knit down the second side.
Both hat and scarf are finished off with wee thistle tassels, with I-Cord stalks. They are light as a feather, yet incredibly warm because of the double thickness.

Since they are knitted in the round, there are no seams and only knit stitches are required for the hat and scarf, though purl stitches are used for making the thistle tassels. A provisional cast-on is also used for both hat and the scarf. You may choose to use either double-pointed knitting needles or a circular knitting needle to knit this set and will need double-pointed needles for the I-cord stalks and for the tassels. The pattern requires 3 colours to be used in the rows that have thistle heads in them. If you don’t feel brave enough to knit with 3 colours in the row, the wee thistle heads could always be sewn on later using Swiss darning. There are some long floats to the rear of the patterned fronts of the hat and scarf, but these become trapped inside the lining of the hat brim and inside the scarf, making it a matter of choice whether you catch them up. Some experience of fair isle or stranded colour work is needed for this pattern, although full instructions are given for the construction methods used.

Materials:

4ply / Fingering Shetland Lambswool 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: 246m/270yds per 50g.

Hat: Cream – 34g Purple – 32g Green – 27g
Scarf: Cream – 85g Purple – 35g Green – 55g

Knitting Needles:
One set of double-pointed 3.00mm (US 2.5) knitting needles are suggested for knitting the hat and scarf set. Alternatively, you may use a circular knitting needle of the same size, if preferred, but will need double-pointed needles for the I-Cords and the tassels.

Measurements (unstretched):
One size fit most:
Hat: Circumference 22 ins/56cm and length to crown 14 inches/36cm
Scarf: Width 6.5 ins/16cm and length 60 ins/150 cm

Tension:
Approximately 28 stitches and 36 rows to 4 ins/10cm over the pattern.

I do hope you enjoy knitting my Highland Maid Hats latest design that celebrates the lowly but beautiful thistle.