Braeburn Cowl in Valley Yarns Hampden - 1070 - Downloadable PDF

Braeburn Cowl in Valley Yarns Hampden – Pattern #1070 by Julie Turjoman

The Braeburn Cowl is a beautifully designed, semi-fitted, gender-neutral cowl created by designer Julie Turjoman and worked exclusively in Valley Yarns Hampden. This downloadable PDF pattern, numbered #1070, is an ideal project for knitters who are ready to move just beyond the basics, rated as Adventurous Beginner in skill level. The finished cowl measures 19¼ inches in circumference and 6½ inches in height, making it a versatile accessory that sits comfortably around the neck without being overly bulky.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single knitted cowl worked as one continuous piece in the round. The design features a two-color mosaic colorwork pattern that creates an eye-catching, textured fabric without the complexity of traditional stranded colorwork. The result is a cozy, wearable accessory suitable for a wide range of knitters and wearers alike.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for two skeins of Valley Yarns Hampden, one in each of two coordinating colors. Valley Yarns Hampden is a DK weight yarn with a luxurious fiber composition of 50% Baby Alpaca, 35% Fine Merino Wool, and 15% Mulberry Silk, available in 50 g / 95 yard skeins. The pattern specifically uses:

• Color A: Valley Yarns Hampden in Color 13 Blue – one skein
• Color B: Valley Yarns Hampden in Color 10 Lizard – one skein

The blend of baby alpaca, fine merino wool, and mulberry silk gives the yarn a notably soft, squishy, and cozy character, making it gentle against the skin and ideal for a neck accessory. The silk content adds a subtle sheen and drape, while the alpaca and merino provide warmth and elasticity.

Needles and Additional Materials

The cowl is knitted on a US size 5 (3.75 mm) 16-inch circular needle, or the size needed to achieve gauge. Additional materials required include stitch markers (including one in a unique color to mark the beginning of the round) and a tapestry needle for finishing.

Gauge

Achieving accurate gauge is important for matching the finished dimensions. The pattern gauge is 22 stitches and 48 rows over 4 inches in garter stitch, blocked. Blocking the swatch before measuring is recommended to ensure accuracy, particularly given the alpaca and silk content, which can bloom and relax with moisture.

Techniques Used

The Braeburn Cowl is worked in the round on a circular needle as a single piece from cast-on to bind-off, eliminating the need for seaming. The primary technique featured is mosaic colorwork, a method of creating multicolor patterning using only one color per round. This makes it significantly more approachable than stranded or intarsia colorwork, as the knitter never works with two yarns simultaneously in a single row or round.

• Mosaic colorwork is achieved by alternating between Color A and Color B every two rounds, following the Mosaic Chart included in the pattern.
• Stitches that are not actively worked in a given round are slipped purlwise with the working yarn held to the wrong side of the work (wyib), creating the illusion of interlocking color without carrying floats across the front of the fabric.
• Care must be taken not to pull the yarn tightly behind slipped stitches, which would distort the fabric and affect gauge.
• Color changes occur after every even-numbered round, and the old and new colors are twisted together on the wrong side to keep transitions smooth and tidy.
• Stitch markers are placed between each 12-stitch mosaic repeat to help track pattern placement throughout the work.

Stitches Used