Traditional Scottish Hap (Garter Hap with Eyelet Stripes)

Traditional Shetland/Scottish style hap worked in garter stitch with regularly spaced eyelet stripes. Constructed flat, this design is straightforward, very portable and blocks beautifully to a soft open fabric. Suitable for a confident beginner who wants a classic, wearable shawl with minimal shaping.

Designer

PurlJam - pattern support team@verde.uk - website https://purljam.verde.uk - socials #purljam

Finished measurements (after blocking, approximate)

• Small: 62" (158 cm) wingspan x 26" (66 cm) depth
• Medium: 75" (191 cm) wingspan x 28" (71 cm) depth
• Large: 85" (216 cm) wingspan x 30" (76 cm) depth

Yarn

• Weight: Fingering (4-ply) wool recommended for authentic drape. Imperial and metric yardage guidelines below.
• Small: 700-900 yds (640-820 m)
• Medium: 900-1100 yds (820-1005 m)
• Large: 1100-1400 yds (1005-1280 m)
• Skeins: Typical 100 g skeins contain ~400 yd (366 m) — adjust number of skeins to yardage above.

Needles

• Recommended: US 3 / UK 11 / 3.25 mm circular needle, 32" (80 cm) length (for comfortably holding the cast-on stitches). You may use straight needles if you prefer to work flat in sections.
• Optional: If you prefer a looser fabric, try US 4 / UK 10 / 3.5 mm (metric 3.5 mm).
• Always include the three sizes in the format requested: US, UK (old), Metric: e.g. US 3 \/ UK 11 \/ 3.25 mm; US 4 \/ UK 10 \/ 3.5 mm.

Notions

• Tapestry needle for weaving in ends
• Stitch markers (optional — useful to mark repeats or edges)
• Blocking pins and surface large enough to block whole hap

Gauge

Garter stitch gauge using recommended needles in this pattern: 24 sts = 4" (6 sts per inch) measured over body section after blocking. Gauge affects final wingspan/depth — check and adjust needle size if necessary.

Abbreviations (US)

• K = knit
• P = purl (not used; garter uses knit on both sides)
• YO = yarn over
• K2tog = knit two together
st(s) = stitch(es)
• RS = right side
• WS = wrong side

Structure & Notes

• This hap is worked flat, across the wingspan: you cast on a long number of stitches to give the wingspan, then work rows back and forth to build the depth.
• Selvedge: 6-st garter selvedge at each edge (K6 at beginning and end of every row) to give a neat, non-curling edge and reduce the need for finishing seams.
• Eyelet stripes: A gentle, regularly spaced eyelet stripe runs across the piece. The body repeat is 12 rows long: 11 rows of garter (knit every row) followed by one eyelet row. The eyelet row introduces vertical eyelet columns evenly spaced across the body.
• Cast-on counts are chosen so that the body (between the two 6-st selvedges) is an exact multiple of the 10-st eyelet repeat.

Stitch multiples

Cast on: 12 + 10n, where 12 = 6-st selvedge on each side and 10 is the body repeat (K8 then a YO K2tog pair). This pattern provides three recommended cast-on totals below.

Sizes / Cast on

• Small: Cast on 372 sts (12 selvedge + 360 body = 12 + 10 x 36)
• Medium: Cast on 452 sts (12 selvedge + 440 body = 12 + 10 x 44)
• Large: Cast on 512 sts (12 selvedge + 500 body = 12 + 10 x 50)

Pattern

Edge instructions: On every row, knit the first 6 sts and the last 6 sts (these are the garter selvedges). The center body is worked as described below.

Body repeat (12 rows total)
Rows 1–11: Knit across all stitches.
Row 12 (Eyelet row; RS): K6, *K8, YO, K2tog; repeat from * across until you reach the final 6 sts, K6.
Repeat these 12 rows until hap measures approximately desired depth (see finished measurements), ending after a Row 11 (that is, finish on a full garter-only row). Then work final garter border if desired and bind off.

Step-by-step

1. With recommended needle and chosen yarn, cast on 372 (452, 512) sts. Place a marker if you like to note the center, but it is not required.
2. Set-up: Work 6 sts garter selvedge: K6, then knit remaining sts to last 6 sts, K6.
3. Work Body repeat: Work Rows 1–12 of the Body repeat until piece depth measures approximately 26" (Small), 28" (Medium), 30" (Large) from the cast-on edge, after blocking—or until you are satisfied with the depth.
4. Optional finishing band: After you have reached the desired depth, you may work 8–12 rows of garter stitch across all sts to form a slightly heavier bottom border.
5. Bind off: Bind off loosely in pattern (bind off knitwise on RS rows, slipping first stitch to create a neat edge). You may use a larger needle for a stretchy bind-off if you prefer a softer edge.

Fringe (optional)

Traditional haps sometimes have a short fringe. To add fringe, cut groups of yarn to the wanted length (tip: finished fringe length usually 2–3" so cut strands double that), fold in half, use crochet hook or fringe tool to pull the fold through 1 stitch at the bound-off edge, pull the ends through the loop and tighten. Space fringe evenly (for example, every 1" or every 1.25" depending on look).

Blocking

Soak the hap in lukewarm water with a wool wash, rinse gently, squeeze out water without wringing and roll in a towel to blot excess moisture. Lay flat on blocking surface and, starting from the top cast-on edge, gently stretch to the final dimensions. Pin along the cast-on edge and bound-off edge first, then shape straight lines along sides. Open the eyelets gently with fingers for even spacing and pin into place. Allow to dry completely before unpinning.

Finishing

• Weave in all ends with a tapestry needle. If you added fringe, trim to even length.
• Label with yarn and care information for future reference.

Customization ideas

• Make a deeper hap by repeating the 12-row body repeat more times for greater depth.
• Swap in a slightly thicker yarn and larger needles for a chunkier, less lacey traditional look; adjust cast-on to maintain the 10-st body repeat multiple.
• Work the entire hap in a striped sequence switching yarn colors every 12 or 24 rows for a historically inspired banded effect.

Troubleshooting

• If edge curls develop, ensure garter selvedge (K6 at each end) is maintained on every row; that prevents curling and gives a neat finished edge.
• If your eyelets look tight, try going up one needle size for a looser YO K2tog or block more aggressively to open them.

Permissions

You may sell items made from this pattern but please credit PurlJam and include a link to https://purljam.verde.uk. Do not reproduce this pattern for redistribution; you may link others to the pattern page.

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