Valley Yarns Ptarmigan Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Ptarmigan Cowl: Soft Mohair and Alpaca Blend Design

What Is Being Made

The Ptarmigan is a luxurious cowl designed by Susan Baron, crafted to provide warmth and style around the neck. This one-size garment features a gently tapered silhouette, with a bottom circumference of 22½ inches tapering to a top circumference of 20 inches, and a finished height of 12 inches. The cowl combines sumptuous natural fibers for a soft, elegant drape that works as both a practical accessory and a fashion statement.

Techniques Used

The Ptarmigan is constructed using bottom-up, seamless, worked-in-the-round knitting techniques. This approach eliminates the need for seaming and creates a continuous tube of fabric. The pattern employs a stretchy cast-on method—specifically the Old Norwegian Cast-on—to ensure the foundation edge has adequate elasticity for comfortable wear. Strategic decreases are incorporated throughout the body to create the tapered shaping that distinguishes this design, with decreases worked at marked intervals to maintain even tapering around the circumference. The final inches transition to a single yarn strand, creating a subtle textural variation in the finished piece.

Stitches Used

This beginner-friendly design relies primarily on stockinette stitch, which is created by knitting every round when working in the round. The pattern incorporates knit 2 together (k2tog) decreases to shape the cowl, with four decreases worked evenly across each decrease round. Stitch markers are used to divide the work into four equal sections, making it easy to track decreases and maintain consistent shaping. The straightforward stitch pattern makes this project accessible to knitters developing their foundational skills.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Ptarmigan pattern calls for two complementary yarns held together throughout most of the construction:

• Main Color (MC): Valley Yarns Southampton, a luxurious blend of 72% Kid Mohair and 28% Mulberry Silk, providing softness and sheen. One 25-gram ball (230 yards) in color 024-Slate Blue is required.
• Contrast Color (CC): Valley Yarns Hatfield, composed of 100% Baby Alpaca, adding warmth and subtle texture. One 50-gram hank (437 yards) in color Bark is needed.

Knitting is worked on US 6 (4mm) 16-inch circular needles, or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge. Additional materials include stitch markers to divide rounds and a tapestry needle for finishing. The gauge is 20 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches in stockinette stitch when one strand each of the main color and contrast color are held together and blocked.

Pattern Overview

The cowl begins with a cast-on of 112 stitches using both yarn strands held together. Work progresses in stockinette stitch for 3 inches before the first set of decreases is introduced. Four decreases (one at each marked section) reduce the stitch count to 108 stitches. The piece continues even until it measures 5½ inches total, with additional shaping rounds worked at intervals to achieve the tapered profile. In the final inches, the contrast color is dropped and only the Southampton yarn is used, creating a refined finish at the top edge. This design is rated as a beginner skill level, making it an excellent project for knitters new to working in the round or those seeking a quick, satisfying cowl pattern.