Mistletoe Set in Valley Yarns Haydenville Bulky - 884 - Downloadable PDF

Mistletoe Set in Valley Yarns Haydenville Bulky – Pattern #884

The Mistletoe Set, designed by Julie Turjoman and published as Valley Yarns pattern #884, is a beautifully coordinated knitting collection comprising two cozy home accessories: a lap throw and a cushion cover. Both pieces feature the same signature Mistletoe stitch pattern, which combines cables and textured stitching to create a polished, heirloom-quality fabric that works equally well as an everyday home accent or as a thoughtful gift for weddings, new babies, or housewarmings. The pattern is rated beginner-friendly and is worked flat in rows, making it an ideal project for knitters who are just beginning to explore cables and textured stitch patterns.

What Is Being Made

Lap Throw

The lap throw is a generously sized blanket with finished measurements of 38¼" x 61¼", designed to keep laps warm on cold winter evenings. It is worked in one piece from the bottom up, beginning with a seed stitch border and continuing back and forth in rows. The all-in-one construction means there are no seams to sew on the throw itself, making finishing straightforward and satisfying.

Cushion Cover

The cushion cover has finished measurements of 21¼" x 18" and is worked in two separate flat pieces that are then sewn together using a tapestry needle. This seamed construction is a classic technique that gives the cover a neat, structured finish. A pillow form is inserted once the pieces are joined. Like the throw, each panel begins with a seed stitch border and carries the Mistletoe stitch pattern throughout the body.

Techniques Used

• Worked flat (back and forth in rows): Both the lap throw and the cushion cover panels are knitted flat on a circular needle, which accommodates the large stitch count comfortably without requiring the knitter to work in the round.
• Seamed construction: The cushion cover is assembled by sewing two knitted panels together, a fundamental finishing technique that reinforces the structure of the cover and creates clean edges.
• Cables: The Mistletoe pattern incorporates cable crossings, including a 2/2 Left Cross (2/2 LC), worked by slipping stitches to a cable needle and holding them to the front before knitting. Cables create the raised, twisted rope-like columns that give the fabric its textured, decorative character.
• Seed stitch borders: All four sides of the lap throw and each panel of the cushion cover feature 1½" seed stitch borders. Seed stitch alternates knit and purl stitches in a checkerboard arrangement, producing a firm, non-curling edge that frames the cabled body beautifully.
• Stretchy cast-on: The pattern specifies a stretchy cast-on method for the cushion cover, ensuring the lower edge has adequate elasticity and drape.
• Stitch markers: Markers are placed to delineate the 20-stitch Mistletoe pattern repeats, helping knitters track the cable and texture sequences with ease — a particularly helpful technique for beginners working their first cabled fabric.

Stitches Used

• Mistletoe pattern: The signature stitch pattern of this set, combining cable crossings with knit and purl arrangements to create a rich, dimensional texture across the main body of both pieces.
• Seed stitch: Used for the borders on all sides of both pieces. Worked by alternating k1, p1 on right-side rows and p1, k1 on wrong-side rows, seed stitch lies flat and adds a refined, handcrafted finish.
• 2/2 Left Cross (2/2 LC): A four-stitch cable where two stitches are held to the front on a cable needle while the next two stitches are knitted, then the held stitches are knitted. This creates a leftward-leaning twist.
• Knit (k) and Purl (p): The foundational stitches that form the basis of both the seed stitch borders and the textured sections of the Mistletoe pattern.