Valley Yarns 1070 Braeburn Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns 1070 Braeburn Cowl

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns 1070 Braeburn is a semi-fitted, gender-neutral cowl designed by Julie Turjoman. This cowl features finished measurements of 19¼" circumference and 6½" height, making it a versatile neckwear piece suitable for a range of wearers. The design showcases a two-color combination that creates visual interest while remaining accessible to knitters new to colorwork techniques.

Techniques Used

This cowl is worked in the round in one piece on a circular needle, eliminating the need for seaming. The primary colorwork technique employed is mosaic knitting, a beginner-friendly approach to working with multiple colors. In mosaic knitting, only one color is active per row, and stitches from the previous row in the inactive color are slipped rather than knitted. This method simplifies color changes and creates striking geometric patterns without the complexity of traditional stranded colorwork.

The pattern requires attention to yarn management during color transitions. When changing colors, knitters twist the old color with the new color on the wrong side to maintain smooth transitions between color blocks. Throughout the mosaic pattern, the working yarn is held to the wrong side of the work when slipping stitches, and all slipped stitches are worked purlwise to maintain consistent stitch appearance.

Stitches Used

The cowl is constructed primarily in garter stitch, which is created by knitting every row when working flat, or alternating knit and purl rounds when working in the round. In this pattern, odd-numbered rounds are knit and even-numbered rounds are purled to produce garter stitch texture. The mosaic pattern is integrated into this garter stitch base, with color changes occurring after every even-numbered row. The pattern repeats a 24-round mosaic chart, which is worked three times total to achieve the finished height of approximately 6 inches from the cast-on edge.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Valley Yarns 1070 Braeburn calls for Valley Yarns Hampden, a luxury blend yarn composed of 50% baby alpaca, 35% fine merino wool, and 15% mulberry silk. This fiber combination creates a yarn that is described as squishably soft and scrumptiously cozy. Each color requires one skein of Hampden, with each skein weighing 50 grams and providing 95 yards of yardage. The pattern specifies two colors: Color A in shade 13 Blue and Color B in shade 10 Lizard, which are selected to play beautifully together.

The recommended needle size is US size 5 (3.75 mm) in a 16-inch circular needle, or whatever size is necessary to achieve the specified gauge. The gauge for this pattern is 22 stitches and 48 rows equal 4 inches in garter stitch when blocked. Additional materials needed include stitch markers—with one marker in a unique color to help track the 12-stitch mosaic repeats—and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends.

Difficulty Level

This cowl is rated as Adventurous Beginner level, making it an ideal project for knitters who have mastered basic knitting skills and are ready to explore colorwork techniques. The mosaic knitting method provides an excellent introduction to working with multiple colors without the steeper learning curve of stranded colorwork, while working in the round on a circular needle reinforces fundamental circular knitting skills.