Living in the heart of Speyside’s malt whisky country, it would be sacrilege for me not to dedicate a hat to Scotch whisky. The production of Scotch whisky has changed little over the last 200 years. Three basic ingredients are needed to make whisky - water, barley and yeast, with five stages to the process - malting, mashing, fermenting, distilling and maturing. In my hat, I’ve included the malting house, with its pagoda-shaped cupola, the copper still of the distillery, the barrels for maturation, the barley, the bottle and last, but not least, your dram.

This is a long hat and is knitted in the round, so there is no seam. Only knit stitches are required for the main picture sections. There is a stocking stitch cuff to the hat, which has a ribbed lining. Each section of the hat is separated from the next by a purled braid. A maximum of 5 colours are used in each row. The hat is finished with a tassel that has been sculpted to resemble a sheaf of barley, though an ordinary tassel or pompom may be substituted, if preferred. Some experience of fair isle or stranded colour work is needed for this pattern, though full instructions, charts and photo tutorials are included.

Materials:
4ply/Fingering Shetland wool or equivalent:

The actual amount of yarn I used is listed below, but please use this as a rough guide and allow additional, given that different brands may differ slightly. The yardage of the wool I used was 215m/236yds per 50g.

Background - 50g Cream - 8g
Straw - 25g Green - 8g
Copper - 15g

Knitting Needles:
One set of 4 double-pointed knitting needles, size 3.25mm (US 3) are suggested for knitting the hat to the desired tension. Alternatively, you may use circular needles in this size, if preferred.

Measurements:
One size fits most (Finished measurement approx. 21ins/54cm, without stretching).

Tension:
Approximately 28 stitches and 28 rows to 10cm over stocking stitch (finished). 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.