In 2021 we marked the centenary year of the birth of Orkney poet and writer George Mackay Brown. Orkney Library & Archive and the George Mackay Brown Fellowship asked everyone to knit us A Hat for George. The idea was to encourage creativity through knitting, using George’s writing as the inspiration to create a collection of unique knitted hats that we could display and then auction off to raise money for local charities. All money raised from the project was split between Orkney Blide Trust which promotes mental well-being, and the Orkney Youth Café which supports our young people here in Orkney.
We were amazed to receive a total of 111 hats from all over the world and when we auctioned them we had bids from all over the world too.
The design brief was very open – hats could be in any style, colour or pattern. In tribute to the writer, we invited knitters to name their design after a novel, story or poem by George Mackay Brown – or even a location, character or line quoted from his work, but this was left up to the individual knitters.
All hats were displayed online and at Orkney Library & Archive before being auctioned off in October 2021, around the time of George’s 100th birthday. See all the hats below.
Knitted George
This beautiful knitted George Mackay Brown doll was one of two dolls sent to us by Alison from Glasgow as part of our Knit a Hat for George campaign. They are based on the Fred Schley painting he is holding which is on permanent display in Stromness Library.
We have one George on display in Kirkwall Library and the other one in Stromness Library though they may also spend some time travelling around Orkney in the Mobile Library.
The Hats on Display
Knitting Patterns
We have patterns and charts available for seven of the knitted hats we received during our #GMB100 Knit a Hat for George campaign. Each pattern costs £3.50 and will be sent by email. To order a pattern please contact the library on 01856 873166 or email library@orkney.gov.uk.
1. A Hat for Poets 
2. Beachcomber (A) 
3. Beachcomber (B) 
4. The Finished House 
5. Hamnavoe 
6. Hamnavoe Market 
7. Taxman
The Hats
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EACH HAT
SOLD
Letters to Gypsy (1)
SOLD
Greenvoe (2)
SOLD
An Orkney Tapestry (3)
SOLD
John Barleycorn (4)
SOLD
Rockpools and Daffodils (5)
SOLD
Christmas Stories (6)
SOLD
January (7)
SOLD
A Time to Keep (8, 9)
SOLD
Flowers (10)
SOLD
The Storm (11)
SOLD
Dod (12)
SOLD
An Orkney Tapestry (13)
SOLD
Brown Tones Hat (14)
SOLD
Diamond Pattern Hat (15)
SOLD
Beachcomber (16)
SOLD
Grey/Wine Beanie (17)
SOLD
Red/Green Beanie (18)
SOLD
Navy Beanie (19)
SOLD
Cream/Blue Beanie (20)
SOLD
Pink/Cream Beanie (21)
SOLD
Six Lives of Fankle the Cat (22)
SOLD
First Wash of Spring (23)
SOLD
Group of 7 Hats (24-30)
SOLD
Blue Crochet Hat (24)
SOLD
Blue Crochet Hat (25)
SOLD
Bird Hat (26)
SOLD
The Sea (31, 32)
SOLD
Calendar Girl & Hamnavoe (34, 33)
SOLD
Calendar Girl (34)
SOLD
Rockpools and Daffodils (35)
SOLD
Beachcomber (36)
SOLD
Hamnavoe (37)
Pattern and chart also available for £3.50
SOLD
An Orkney Tapestry (38)
SOLD
Under Brinkies Brae (39)
SOLD
Beachcomber (40)
SOLD
Group of 9 Hats (41-49)
SOLD
Red Marl Hat (42)
SOLD
Red Bright Hat (44)
SOLD
Purple Hat (45)
SOLD
Black/Purple Stripes (46)
SOLD
Black/Lime Stripes (47)
SOLD
Aran Cream (49)
SOLD
Fair Isle (50)
SOLD
Katie’s Kep Fair Isle Design (51)
SOLD
Bright Children’s Hat (52)
SOLD
Teal Spiral Hat (53)
SOLD
Vinland (54)
SOLD
Nighthawk (55)
SOLD
Beachcomber (56)
SOLD
Spiral Tam (57)
SOLD
Rackwick (58)
SOLD
Merry Dancers (59)SOLD
Beachcomber (60)
Pattern and chart also available for £3.50
SOLD
Andrina & An Orkney Tapestry (61, 62)
SOLD
Winter Tales (63)
SOLD
An Orkney Tapestry (64)SOLD
The Finished House (65)
Pattern and chart also available for £3.50
SOLD
The Child in the Snow (66)
SOLD
Following a Lark (67)
SOLD
Eagle (68)
SOLD
December Day (69)
SOLD
Afternoon Tea (70)
SOLD
Daffodil Time (71)
SOLD
An Orkney Tapestry (72)
SOLD
Epiphany Poem (73, 74, 75)
SOLD
Teal Ribbed Hat (76)
SOLD
For the Islands I Sing (77)
SOLD
Torvald (78)
SOLD
Fair Isle Pattern (79)
SOLD
Brinkies Brae and Graemsay (80, 81)
SOLD
The Year of the Whale (82)
SOLD
Interrogation of Silence, Thistle and Swirl Tie (83, 84, 85)
SOLD
Set of 3 Coloured Block (86, 87, 88)
SOLD
Teal Beanie (89)
SOLD
Pair of cream Toories (90, 91)
SOLD
Discovering GMB (92)SOLD
Beachcomber (93)
Pattern and chart also available for £3.50SOLD
Taxman (94)
Pattern and chart also available for £3.50SOLD
Hamnavoe Market (95)
Pattern and chart also available for £3.50
SOLD
Sea Inspired Kep (96)
SOLD
Stars (97)
SOLD
Ring of Brodgar (98)
SOLD
Anchors Away (99)
SOLD
Brinkies Bunnet (100)
SOLD
Five of Spades (101)
SOLD
A Hat for Time in a Red Coat (102)
SOLD
That Winter Many Lambs Were Born in the Snow (103)
SOLD
A Hat for Andrina (104)
SOLD
The Sea (105)
SOLD
Orkney Skies (106)
SOLD
A Hat for Poets (107)
Pattern and chart also available for £3.50
SOLD
Green Toorie (108)
SOLD
A Peedie Hat for George (109)
SOLD
Hat with Blue Diamonds (110)
SOLD
Midsummer at the Ring of Brodgar (111)