Knitting Jenny Pattern 34: Fair Isle Inspired Fisherman’s Kep

Knitting Jenny Pattern 34: Fair Isle Inspired Fisherman’s Kep is a modern interpretation of a traditional Fair Isle inspired fisherman’s kep (or cap or hat). 

The kep is long, conical, colorful, and meant to be worn folded at the crown, in the historic style of fishermen and sailors.  

This book includes knitting patterns, motifs, and instructions in the following inclusive formats:

• Color Charts
• Written Instructions
• Illustrations
• Photographic Tutorial

This fisherman’s kep was designed by Jennifer Daley at her studio in Fair Isle, Shetland Islands, Scotland, the historic birthplace of Fair Isle knitting.

The kep is knit circularly. Firstly, knit the brim. Secondly, continue knitting upward to the head. Thirdly, knit the crown.

Two separate kep patterns are included, one with a Traditional Motif Arrangement, and the other with a Unique Motif Arrangement. 

The Unique Motif Arrangement, as illustrated in the front cover photograph, consists of six different Fair Isle motifs that rotate positions. The overall design effect is a complex arrangement of motifs that spiral up from the brim to the head to the crown.

The kep is knit with Jamieson and Smith brand Shetland Heritage wool (or alternately substitute any fingering weight, 2 ply jumper weight, or 2 ply equivalent to a 4 ply).

This pattern requires five colors of wool.

The following tools are suggested for this pattern.

• 2.0mm knitting needles (for the brim and crown)
• 2.75mm knitting needles (for the stranded colorwork)

The gauge (or tension) for this Knitting Jenny pattern is:

36 stitches and 42 rows to 4 inches (10 centimeters) over the stranded colorwork pattern, knit circularly with 2.75mm knitting needles, after washing, blocking, drying.

Knitting needle size can be increased or decreased, depending upon how you knit (tightly or loosely) and the desired final size.

The knitting needle sizes stipulated in this pattern are designed to achieve a knitted kep that fits a medium size head. 

The book includes 30 illustrations and 81 pages.

Published in the United States in 2025 by Mall & Mall Press, a publishing imprint of Mall & Mall LLC.

The book is delivered as an immediate digital download in PDF format and therefore cannot be returned, exchanged, or refunded.