Valley Yarns Bricklayer Set Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Bricklayer Set

Project Overview

The Bricklayer Set is a coordinated knitting project designed by Emma Welford that includes a matching hat and mitts. This advanced beginner pattern showcases colorwork techniques and creative construction methods, making it an excellent choice for knitters looking to expand their skills beyond basic garment construction.

Hat Details

The hat features finished measurements of 9 inches deep with a brim circumference of 19 to 22 inches. The design begins with a garter stitch brim worked sideways, which adds visual and textural interest compared to traditional ribbed edges. The main body is constructed using the Bricklayer pattern stitch, a colorwork technique that employs slipped stitches and works with only one color per row, simplifying the colorwork process for knitters new to multi-color knitting.

Mitts Details

The mitts measure 7 inches around and 6 inches long. Like the hat, they feature garter stitch bands at the top, but these are worked flat and then grafted together using the Kitchener stitch, a seamless joining technique. After grafting, stitches are picked up along one edge and the body is worked downwards, creating a construction method that differs from the hat and adds variety to the overall project experience.

Techniques and Construction Methods

This set employs several intermediate-level techniques that make it suitable for advanced beginners:

• Bottom-up and top-down construction: The hat is worked upwards from the brim, while the mitts are worked downwards from the top, demonstrating different directional approaches within a single project
• Worked in the round: The main bodies of both pieces use circular needles and double-pointed needles for seamless, tubular construction
• Sideways garter stitch bands: The brim of the hat and the tops of the mitts are worked horizontally, then joined, creating a distinctive textural element
• Kitchener stitch grafting: Used to seamlessly join the ends of the sideways garter bands, eliminating visible seams
• Slipped stitch colorwork: The Bricklayer pattern uses slipped stitches and single-color rows, making it an accessible introduction to colorwork without the complexity of stranding or carrying multiple colors across rows
• Stitch pickup: Stitches are picked up along edges to transition between sections, a fundamental technique for seamless garment construction

Stitches Used

The pattern incorporates essential knitting stitches and techniques including knit stitches, purl stitches, knit two together decreases, slip stitches, yarn overs for shaping, and make one purl increases. The Bricklayer pattern stitch itself is the featured stitch, creating visual interest through the combination of slipped stitches and color changes.

Yarn and Materials

The set is designed using Valley Yarns Berkshire, a premium blend of 85% wool and 15% alpaca. This fiber composition provides warmth, durability, and a soft hand ideal for accessories worn close to the face and hands. Each skein contains 100 yards and weighs 100 grams.

The hat requires one skein each of color 16 Burgundy (main color) and color 17 Wine (contrasting color). The mitts use the same colors but with the roles reversed: one skein each of color 17 Wine (main color) and color 16 Burgundy (contrasting color). This color swapping between the two pieces creates a cohesive, coordinated set while allowing for creative variation. Knitters may choose to match colors throughout if preferred, as yarn requirements remain the same.

Needles required include US size 8 (5.00 millimeter) 16-inch circular needles and double-pointed needles of the same size, or whatever size is necessary to achieve the correct gauge. The pattern specifies a gauge of 4.25 stitches and 5 rows per inch when worked in the Bricklayer pattern stitch.

Skill Level and Suitability

Classified as advanced beginner difficulty, the Bricklayer Set is ideal for knitters who have mastered basic garment construction and are ready to explore colorwork and more sophisticated shaping techniques. The use of slipped stitch colorwork rather than traditional stranding makes this pattern more approachable than many multi-color projects, while the various construction methods provide valuable learning opportunities.