Kate Davies – Green Shoots Tam Knitting Kit
Designed by Kate Davies – KDD & Co
A cheerful colourwork tam, designed for January and the brighter days coming. Five shades, worked in the round from the bottom up, with a ribbed brim and a crown that shapes down from the chart.
We have kitted this in Jamieson & Smith 2 Ply Jumper Weight, the classic Shetland jumper weight and our choice for this design in place of the yarn named in the pattern. It blooms when blocked, which is exactly what a tam wants: the colourwork settles and the crown opens out properly over a plate.
Choosing your palette
Two palettes, five shades each, one ball of every shade. The letters are the chart letters from the pattern.
- Shetland Palette 1 · A Dark Fuchsia 43 · B Light Fawn 202 · C Dark Navy 36 · D Moss Green 118 · E Lime 9
- Shetland Palette 2 · A Bright Pink Mix FC22 · B Natural White 1A · C Purpley Blue 131 · D Light Green Mix FC24 · E Lime 9
We have matched Kate's palette as closely as the Jamieson & Smith range allows, but these are not the shades she used and the two yarns are different, so your tam will not look identical to the photographs of the original.
Skill Level: Intermediate ★★★ (3 out of 5)
Size: One size, to fit a head of 51-56cm / 20-22in. Gauge matters here, so swatch and block the finished hat properly.
Gauge: 28 sts x 36 rounds to 10cm (4") over colourwork in the round, washed and blocked. Kate gives 3mm as the starting point for swatching
The Kit Includes
- 5 balls of Jamieson & Smith 2 Ply Jumper Weight, one in each of the five shades of your chosen palette
- Printed pattern in English, with a code to download the digital version
You'll Also Need
- Circular needle one size below gauge size, 40cm long, for the rib
- Gauge-size circular needle, 40cm long, for the body
- Gauge-size needles of your preferred type for the crown shaping
- Stitch marker
- Wool needle
Techniques used
- Stranded colourwork in the round, two shades per round, worked from a chart read right to left throughout
- Ribbed brim
- Crown shaping worked in pattern
- Blocking a tam over a plate to open out the crown
Only two shades are ever in your hands at once, however many are in the kit.
Why You'll Love It
- A tam is a quicker way into colourwork than a garment, and a better way to use five shades
- Real Shetland wool from Jamieson & Smith in Lerwick
- Two palettes, each chosen as a complete set
- One ball of each shade, so there is nothing left to work out