‘Will ye go lassie go?’ is one of my favourite Scottish folk songs. It reminds me of my Granda MacDonald, who loved to teach me Scottish songs when I was a child. It is my inspiration for this, my latest design:

“Oh, the summertime is coming, and the trees are sweetly blooming,
And the wild mountain thyme grows around the purple heather,
Will ye go lassie go?”

This is a long hat or kep and is knitted in the round, using either a circular knitting needle or a set 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 lining to the first section of the hat and it is finished with a crocheted bluebell tassel. The bluebells could be made with small tassels or pompoms, if you cannot crochet. 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 – 38g Pink - 11g
Green - 26g Purple - 5g
Blue - 15g

Knitting Needles:

I used one set of 4 double-pointed knitting needles, size 3.25mm (US 3). Alternatively, you may use a 40cm circular needles in this size, if preferred. I used a 3.5mm crochet hook for the tassel cord and a 1.75mm crochet hook for the bluebells.

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, though exact tension is not crucial in fair isle knitting.

About Highland Maid Hats:

Whereas Shetland’s Fair Isle is the true home of ‘Fair Isle’ knitting, the term fair isle has become adopted worldwide to describe stranded colour knitting using fine wools to create warm, double-layered, though surprisingly lightweight, garments that keep the coldest of elements out. Many beautiful traditional designs are readily available, to be interpreted and used however the knitter chooses, in order to create their own unique garment. With my Highland Maid Hats, I often use some of these traditional elements, but also like to incorporate my own ideas, whilst using the beautiful scenery here in the Highlands of Scotland as inspiration for my designs and my choice of colours. I’m also a keen amateur landscape photographer and I like to think of my hats as being my own way of capturing the beauty I am surrounded by.