The inspiration for this pattern came from a photograph of several traditional Fair Isle tams on the back cover of Sheila McGregor’s ‘Traditional Fair Isle Knitting’. I thought it such a pity she didn’t include a tam pattern in her book I thought I would write one myself.

The title comes from my favourite book by George Mackay Brown of the same name, all about village life in the Orkney Islands, neighbours to Shetland and Fair Isle.

The inspiration for the colours and patterns comes from the Highlands of Scotland where my family live. There are pine trees, heather, snow and the traditional Fair Isle OXO pattern. I am looking forward to wearing it there and seeing if my memory has the landscape right.