Roamin’

This hat is full of memories. The combination of colour and name of the Purple Milarrochy Tweed “Gloamin’ brought back a wealth of memories of my Grandmother, originally from Lochgelly. She left the “Old Country” in 1916, at 16 to join her husband in Nanaimo, where he was working the coal face. She never lost her accent or forgot where she came from.

Memories of heather, meadows, thistles and Harry Lauder.

She would hum her favourite song as she baked or worked around her small apartment. The song was always “Roamin’ Through the Gloamin”!

This lace and colourwork hat features 5 shades of Milarrochy Tweed. Beginning with an easy lace rib, which transitions into the Crest of the Wave pattern, the body of the hat is worked in two shades. The colourwork crown features tiny field flowers, and the top of the hat is finished with three decorative (and fun to make) thistle tassels.

Yarn
Kate Davies Designs Milarrochy Tweed (70% wool; 30% mohair; 100m / 109yds per 25g ball). 2 balls of Gloamin’ and 1 each of the remaining shades:
A Gloamin’
B Garth
C Smirr
D Hirst
E Campion

Needles and Notions
40cm / 16in below gauge-size circular needle.
40cm / 16in gauge-size circular needle.
Gauge-size needle(s) of your preferred type for working small circumferences.
Stitch marker.
Tapestry needle.
Piece of hard cardboard, approximately 4cm / 1½in wide and 10cm / 4in long to wrap for thistle tassels.
1.8cm / ¾in flat button with 4 holes (no shank).

Gauge
28 sts and 34 rounds to 10cm / 4in over colourwork and Crest of the Wave pattern on gauge-size needle. Gauge was achieved on 3.25mm / US 3 needle.

Sizing
This sample was blocked lightly to open up the lace. It might be blocked more severely (over a plate) to create a more traditional tam shape or lengthwise, to create a slouchier hat.
One size to fit head circumference: 51-56cm / 20-22in
Hat circumference (unstretched): 61cm / 24in
Height from brim to crown: 29cm / 11½in

Pattern notes
This hat is knit in the round from the bottom up. The brim is worked following the lace rib chart, then the hat body and crown are worked from the main chart. Thistle tassels, carefully secured with a button, add a final decorative flourish. Charts are read from right to left throughout.