Valley Yarns Siskin Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Siskin Knit Headband

What is Being Made

The Siskin is a sophisticated knit headband accessory designed by Susan Baron. This finished piece measures 22½" in circumference and 4½" in height, making it a one-size accessory suitable for various head sizes. The headband is worked as a flat piece and then grafted together at the ends to form a continuous loop, creating a versatile fashion accessory that can be worn in multiple ways.

Yarn and Materials

This project features Valley Yarns Southampton, a luxurious blend of 72% Kid Mohair and 28% Mulberry Silk. Two colors are held together throughout the project to create a distinctive visual effect. The pattern calls for one 25-gram ball (230 yards) each of two Southampton colors: Color 1 in #28-North Sea and Color 2 in #14-Natural. The combination of mohair and silk creates a soft, sumptuous, and lofty texture that is characteristic of this yarn blend.

Needles and Tools

Construction requires a US 6 (4mm) circular needle measuring 24 inches in length, or the size needed to achieve proper gauge. Additional tools include a spare US 6 (4mm) needle for grafting, a Size G (4mm) crochet hook for the provisional cast-on, scrap yarn, stitch markers, and a tapestry needle for finishing work.

Techniques Used

The Siskin employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques. The headband is worked flat on circular needles rather than in the round, allowing for easier cable pattern manipulation. The project begins with a provisional crochet cast-on, a technique that creates a temporary cast-on edge using a crochet hook and scrap yarn. This provisional cast-on allows the knitter to later graft the two ends together using Kitchener Stitch, creating an invisible seam that joins the cast-on edge to the bound-off edge for a seamless, continuous loop.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch pattern is a cable pattern worked throughout the headband. The cable design is distinctive and creates visual interest through the interplay of the two colors held together. Key cable stitches used in this pattern include:

• 2/1 LPC (2/1 Left Purl Cross): Slip 2 stitches to a cable needle and hold to the front, purl 1 stitch, then knit 2 stitches from the cable needle
• 2/1 RPC (2/1 Right Purl Cross): Slip 1 stitch to a cable needle and hold to the back, knit 2 stitches, then purl 1 stitch from the cable needle

The pattern also incorporates standard knitting abbreviations including knit (K), purl (P), slip (Sl), increases (Inc), decreases (Dec), and stitch markers to maintain pattern repeats. The gauge is established at 29 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in the cable pattern when working with one strand of each color held together, lightly blocked.

Skill Level and Design Features

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic stockinette stitch. The two-color combination creates a subtle interplay of color and lofty texture, and the pattern notes that color combinations are almost endless, encouraging makers to create multiple versions in different color pairings. The use of two strands of yarn held together throughout adds both visual complexity and textural interest to the finished piece.