Siskin Headband in Valley Yarns Southampton - 985 - Downloadable PDF

Siskin Headband – Pattern Summary (Valley Yarns Southampton, Design #985)

The Siskin Headband, design #985, is an original knitting pattern by designer Susan Baron, published as a downloadable PDF. This elegant knitted headband is crafted using Valley Yarns Southampton, a luxurious yarn blended from 72% Kid Mohair and 28% Mulberry Silk, held in two colors simultaneously to produce a beautifully lofty, softly hazy fabric with a subtle interplay of color and texture. The finished headband measures 22½ inches in circumference and 4½ inches high, making it a comfortable one-size accessory suitable for most adults.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a knitted cable headband — a fashionable and functional accessory designed to keep ears warm while adding a refined, textural detail to any outfit. Because two colors of Valley Yarns Southampton are held together throughout, the finished fabric has a distinctive depth and richness that a single strand alone cannot achieve. The color combinations available are described as nearly endless, encouraging knitters to make multiple versions. The specific colorway combination featured in the pattern pairs #28-North Sea (Color 1) with #14-Natural (Color 2), creating a sophisticated contrast of cool blue-toned mohair and a soft, neutral hue.

Techniques Used

• Worked flat: The headband is knitted back and forth in flat rows rather than in the round, despite the use of a circular needle.
• Grafting (Kitchener stitch): A spare needle and tapestry needle are required for grafting, which is used to join the two ends of the headband seamlessly for a polished, professional finish.
• Provisional cast-on: Scrap yarn and a Size G (4mm) crochet hook are used to work a provisional cast-on, which allows live stitches to be picked up later for grafting.
• Holding two strands together: Both colors of Valley Yarns Southampton are held together as one throughout the project, a technique that amplifies the halo of the Kid Mohair and blends the two colorways into a unified, nuanced fabric.
• Stitch marker placement: Stitch markers are used to keep track of pattern repeats within the cable design.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

• Cable pattern: The primary stitch pattern is a distinctive cable design that gives the headband its structured, textural character. Cables are a classic knitting technique in which stitches are crossed over one another using a cable needle or spare needle, creating twisted, rope-like columns of fabric.
• Gauge is measured in cable pattern: The pattern specifies a gauge of 29 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches / 10 cm in the cable pattern worked with one strand of each color held together, underscoring how central the cable stitch is to the overall structure and sizing of the headband.

Materials Required

• Yarn: 1 ball of Valley Yarns Southampton in #28-North Sea (Color 1) and 1 ball of Valley Yarns Southampton in #14-Natural (Color 2). Each ball contains 25 g / 230 yards and is composed of 72% Kid Mohair / 28% Mulberry Silk.
• Needles: US 6 (4mm) 24-inch circular needle, or size needed to achieve gauge. A spare US 6 (4mm) needle is also required for grafting.
• Crochet hook: Size G (4mm) crochet hook for working the provisional cast-on.
• Additional materials: Scrap yarn (for provisional cast-on), stitch markers, and a tapestry needle.

Skill Level and Suitability

This pattern is rated Intermediate in difficulty. Knitters should be comfortable working cable stitches, reading a cable pattern, executing a provisional cast