Bonnie Isle Hat by Linda Shearer is the very latest knitting pattern from Shetland Wool Week, which is a celebration of Britain’s most northerly native sheep, and the Shetland textile and farming communities.

Each year a hat pattern is published and I have real fondness for them. Whilst I haven’t yet made it to wool week – it’s definitely on my wish list, I can proudly say that the very first colourwork or fair isle knitting that I did was a Shetland wool week hat, and I’ve knitted one almost every year since.

The Patron of Shetland Wool Week 2022 is Linda Shearer, who has lived in Whalsay, Shetland all her life.
The Island of Whalsay has the nickname, the ‘Bonnie Isle’, which became the name for her hat design for this years festival.

Shetland Wool week asked Linda for any tips for knitters when selecting their colours for the Bonnie Isle Hat?

This is her advice.
When choosing colours for the hat, you should be looking for either three dark colours and ‘two’ light, or three light colours and ‘two’ dark.  The two colours together shouldn’t have too much of a contrast to each other, as one of them will be used as a second background colour for the anchor, and you want the anchor to ‘stand out’.  However, the background here could easily be done in one colour only. The pom-pom is optional. I have allowed plenty of the main colour so it can be used to make a pom-pom. 

We think that our Cheviot Marsh 4ply will be a gorgeous yarn for this hat. It is crisp and bouncy and wonderful for colourwork.You will need 2 mini skeins of the main colour (A) and one skien for each of the colours B-E.

The pattern for this hat is available to download free from Shetland Wool Week