Valley Yarns Fiddlehead Set Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Fiddlehead Set: Knitted Beret and Mittens

What Is Being Made

The Fiddlehead Set is a coordinated pair of knitted accessories featuring a beret and matching mittens. The collection draws inspiration from spring fiddlehead ferns found in gardens, woods, and local markets of western Massachusetts. The set combines a structured beret with a finished measurement of 22 inches when worn, paired with mittens that measure 7 inches at the knuckles. This intermediate-level project creates a cohesive spring accessory collection with complementary staggered fiddlehead motifs throughout both pieces.

Techniques Used

The Fiddlehead Set employs cable knitting and working in the round as primary construction techniques. Both the beret and mittens are worked circularly, eliminating the need for seaming and creating seamless, professional-looking garments. The design incorporates charted stitch patterns that guide the placement of decorative fiddlehead motifs, which are staggered across the fabric for visual interest. Crown shaping on the beret demonstrates intermediate-level decreasing techniques, while the mittens feature similar shaping at the hand.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The pattern utilizes several specialized stitches and techniques:

• Ribbing: The beret begins with a k1, p1 rib worked for 1 inch, providing elasticity and structure at the edge
• Make One Stitches: m1L (make one left) and m1R (make one right) are used for left-leaning and right-leaning increases, as well as purl versions (m1pL and m1pR) for increases within purl sections
• Multiple Stitches from One: The m5 technique creates five stitches from a single stitch by knitting alternately in the front and back of the same loop, producing the dimensional fiddlehead motifs
• Complex Decreases: The sl2tog-k3tog-p2sso (slip 2 stitches as if to knit 2 together, knit 3 together, pass the 2 slipped stitches over) creates dramatic shaping during crown decreases
• Standard Decreases: p2tog (purl 2 together) and p3tog (purl 3 together) decreases are worked throughout the crown shaping rounds

Construction Details

The beret construction begins with casting on 96 stitches and joining to work in the round. After the ribbed cuff, a set-up round increases stitches to 128 using make-one techniques, creating the foundation for the charted pattern. The main body follows rounds 1 through 29 of the Beret Chart, which contains the staggered fiddlehead motifs. Crown shaping then occurs over multiple rounds, progressively decreasing stitches through paired decreases and the signature sl2tog-k3tog-p2sso technique until only 16 stitches remain for finishing. The mittens follow a similar construction method, worked in the round with matching motifs and finished measurements of 7 inches at the knuckles.

Materials: Yarn and Tools

The Fiddlehead Set is designed to be worked in Valley Yarns Southwick, a blend of 52% Pima Cotton and 48% Bamboo Viscose. This fiber composition creates a soft, breathable fabric appropriate for spring wear. The yarn is provided at 105 yards per 50-gram ball, allowing crafters to calculate yardage requirements based on the number of balls needed for both the beret and mittens. Circular needles appropriate for the yarn weight are required for working both pieces in the round, with needle size determined by the pattern's gauge requirements.

Skill Level and Design Credit

The Fiddlehead Set is rated as an intermediate project, suitable for knitters with experience in basic techniques who are ready to work with charted patterns and manage multiple stitch types. The design was created by Emma Welford, pattern number 448 in the Valley Yarns collection.