A Fair Isle hat that stands tradition on end.

Fair Isle is very “set” in its motifs and composition but knitters today like to push the envelope and add a signature touch while still honoring tradition. This hat uses X O motifs but changes them up by standing them on end. Rather than horizontal bands, the bands become vertical, but the color changes stay horizontal. It makes for a new way of looking at Fair Isle. Even the Skull & Crossbones motif looks “traditional” - but it’s not!The motifs are riffs on tradition, but designed by me.

Knit in the round, it starts with 3 rounds of corrugated rib. The 6 vertical bands are separated with a single column of alternating knits and purls. It is slouchy, about 10.5 inches tall with 2 long tassels on top. Skull cap has a finished height of about 8 inches.

Instructions are for slouch style with modifications in italic for a skull cap.

Child Skull & Crossbones skull cap
were knit by and photo taken by StacyAce.

Three Sizes: Child, Adult & Large Adult
Materials:
Worsted Weight Wool (colors in yardage correspond to colors in photo)
If desired, a self-striping worsted yarn works great as a substitute for all the CC’s combined. It comes in great colors and does all the changing of colors for you without lots of ends to weave in later. The KnitPicks Chroma colorway “Groovy” is a great choice. About 25% less yarn of each color is needed for the skull cap. All colors below are Cascade 220.
Similar amounts of yarn are needed for SKULL & CROSSBONES Charts, though colors are up to the knitter.

110 (120, 130) yds / 100 (110, 119) m MC (Jet) - a dark grey
20 ( 20, 20 ) yds / 18 ( 18, 18 ) m CC1 (Anis) - an aqua blue
35 ( 40, 40 ) yds / 32 ( 37, 37 ) m CC2 (Lilac Mist) - a light purple
45 ( 50, 50 ) yds / 41 ( 46, 46 ) m CC3 (Cotton Candy) - a bright pink
45 ( 50, 50 ) yds / 41 ( 46, 46 ) m CC4 (Citron) - a lime green
35 ( 40, 40 ) yds / 32 ( 37, 37 ) m CC5 (Palm) - a medium green

US Size 7 / 4.5mm 16 or 24 inch Circulars or size needed to obtain gauge
US Size 6 / 4mm 16 or 24 inch Circulars or 1 size smaller than size above
Same size DPNs as larger needles
Seam Needle, Stitch Marker

Gauge: 21 sts X 24 rows = 4 ins / 10 cm in blocked, stranded stockinette st.
Slouch Finished Height: 10.5 ( 10.5, 10.5 ) ins / 26 ( 26, 26 ) cm.
Skull Finished Height: 8 ( 8, 8 ) ins / 20 ( 20, 20 ) cm.
Finished Circumference: 18.5 ( 20, 21) ins / 47 ( 51, 53.5 ) cm at brim.