I love the idea of cowls, but most of them stop right around your collarbone and leave your chest frightfully chilly in comparison. Enter the Bandit Cowl. It starts with a tube cowl knit in the round, but then a triangle gets added to the bottom for extra coverage. A smaller short row triangle on top adds interest, and keeps the cowl tight around the neck for extra warmth. I recommend splurging on something soft and cozy since you only need one skein. Fast to knit, this is most certainly the warmest thing my neck has ever worn. P.s. This cowl makes a great unisex project (but maybe without the pretty button).
abbreviations
k2tog - Knit two stitches together. ssk - slip one stitch, slip another stitch, knit these 2 stitches together w&t - Wrap and turn. When you get to the $\begin{array}{r}{\mathrm{w}^{+}\mathrm{t},}\end{array}$ bring your yarn forward as if you're going to purl. Slip next stitch. Turn your work so the opposite side faces. Slip the first stitch again. Knit into next stitch. (Yay! You wrapped!)
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useful information
gauge, yarn, needles:
Uaugc: ApPIUx 1+ sutLlics x ZU IUws Ill stULKlcttC. Yarn: I would use a reasonably chunky yarn to help keep it structured. I used about 75 yards of Malabrigo Chunky. Needles: 10.5 US $16^{\circ}$ Circular needles or size needed to obtain gauge.
yarn suggestions:
This pattern works great for handspun and variegated yarns. Use something cozy and soft since it will be giving your neck a rather tight hug!
skills:
In this pattern you'll need to: knit, purl, decrease (k2tog, ssk), do short rows.
pattern overview
This cowl is made in three sections.
pattern instructions
Section 1: You start by knitting a tube in the round, decreasing along the way to keep the cowl tight around your neck. Section 2: At the top, you continue in short rows to create a small triangle. Section 3: Stitches are picked up at the bottom cast on edge and knit in a decreasing triangle. I knit this in alternating stripes of garter and stockinette, though to simplify things you could knit entirely in garter or stockinette (with a few garter stitches on the edges to prevent rolling). Section #1: CO 60 Stitches Place marker and join to knit in the round. Knit 4 rounds in garter stitch (Knit 1 round, Purl 1 Round x2). Knit 30 stitches, place marker, knit to end. Decrease Round: K1, K2tog, knit to 3 stitches before second marker, SSK, K1, slip marker, K1, K2tog, knit to 3 stitches before end marker SSK, K1. Knit 1 Round. You will now be alternating 4 rows of garter with 3 rows of stockinette, doing a decrease row on the second row of stockinette on every other stockinette section. It will go like this: Garter section - Purl 1 Round, Knit 1 Round, x 2 Stockinette section - Knit 3 Rounds Garter section - Purl 1 Round, Knit 1 Round, $\textrm{x}2$ Stockinette section with decrease - (Knit 1 round, then do a decrease round per instruction above, then knit 1 round) Work these 4 sections two times total. You should have 48 stitches remaining. \*(The decrease rounds keep the cowl tight at the neck. If you would like a looser cowl, eliminate one or more of the decrease rounds and replace with a regular knit round). Knit 3 garter rows, starting and ending with a purl round
Section #2:
On the next round, loosely BO 24 stitches (BO to 2nd marker). (Make sure to bind off as loosely as possible, using a larger needle if needed). Knit to last 4 stitches, $\mathrm{w+t,}$ knit to end. Knit to last 6 stitches, $\begin{array}{r}{\mathrm{w}^{+}\mathrm{t},}\end{array}$ knit to end. Knit to last 8 stitches, $\mathrm{w+t,}$ knit to end. Continue like this, doing your $\mathrm{w}^{+}\mathrm{t}\,2$ stitches before the previous row, until you have knit to the last 18 stitches, $\mathrm{w+t,}$ knit to end. Then knit across all stitches, picking up the wraps. (This just means that when you get to a wrapped stitch, insert your needle into both the wrap and the stitch and knit them together.) Bind Off.
Section #3:
Pick up 32 stitches from the bottom cast on edge of the cowl tube, starting where the string from your cast on is hanging down, and moving to the right (you want the picked up stitches to be in the front of the cowl, moving towards the small triangle). Knit 1 row. Decrease Row - K1, SSK, knit across, K2tog, K1 Continue as follows, knitting a decrease row every other row (every even row): Round 1: Purl Round 2: Decrease Row Repeat these 6 rows until you have only 4 stitches left on the needle. SSK, K2tog (2 stitches left). Bind Off.
finishinq instructions
Weave in all ends. Block if desired. Sew a button if desired onto the small triangle, per the picture on page 1. You can sew through both layers of the cowl, securing the smaller triangle to the rest of the cowl. This is optional. I do find that flipped up, the small triangle makes a great nose warmer, so leaving it unattached is good too. NOW GET COZY!!
