Fair Isle fisherman's kep

Hand-knit pattern pdf download (english)

The Fisherman’s kep is a traditional Fair Isle hat. The folded headband gives the wearer extra warmth, and the complexity of its construction provides great pleasure and satisfaction when you have finished knitting it.

The uniqueness of Fair Isle knitting comes from the multiple patterns that can be used. I’ve carefully selected some of my favourites and this pattern gives you three options, so you can knit the kep in 3 different designs!

The possibilities for playing with colours are infinite, this knitting pattern will provide you with charts for a couple of traditional options. One in the famous bright Fair Isle colours, with a slight “Marie twist”, one in the natural colours of Shetland sheep. It also includes the charts for a sea inspired colourway and three blank chart for you to design your own.

The keps in the pictures are for illustrative purposes only. They have been knitted on a flat-bed knitting machine to help you see how the shape, design and colours look like. 

Yarn : Jamieson’s of Shetland, Spindrift (2ply equivalent to 4ply/fingering weight; 100% Shetland wool; 105m/115 yds per 25g ball) 

Yarn quantities are provided as estimates, given the numerous size and color combinations. Due to the diverse options, calculating exact usage becomes challenging.