Easy-to-knit Cowl / Neck Gaitor
This easy-to-knit stand-alone cowl/neck gaitor is not just a nice exercize in learning to knit in-the-rond, but also a very practicle piece of clothing, that you can never really have enough from. It's the perfect substitute for a scarf it you don't like the long ends, but it can also be a nice garment to wear in the house under your seater (with a thinner yarn). Make the cowl as long as you like ; fold it double to wear as a cowl under a jacket or sweater, or make it long enough to cover your nose and mouth in a cold winter. A cowl with a tinner yarn will take you a while to knit up, but one from thick yarn (like this one), can be finished in one or two nights.
What you need :
- About 100 grams yarn (2 skeins) (peferably part wool) suited for needles no. 5-6 - 4-5 DPN's or a circular needle 5mm. On a circular needle you will almost certainly have to knit using the magic-loop-technique or have a very small needle) - Stitchmakers (or a few strands of yarn in a contrasting color - Optional a 5mm crochet hook for finishing. You can, ofcourse use different yarn and needles, since you need to work with a testpiece anyway.
How to make it :
Measure the circumference of your head (not too tight) and make a testpiece in 1k (knit)1 p (purl) or 2k 2p (whichever you like to use for the cowl) of about 4x4 inch. Count how many stitches you will need for the cowl to fit perfectly around the head. Meet de omtrek van je hoofd (vrij ruim) en maak een proeflap. Calculate how many stitches you will need for the cowl to foit around your head, and cast on this amount of stitches. Example : 13 st. on 4 inch , circumference = 24 inch , you need 6x13 is 78 stitches. (Always make sure you have a stitchcount dividable by 2 (1k1p)or 4(2k2p).
The Neckpiece :
Knit in an elastic stitch like 2k 2p (or any other stitch you like that has a lot of stretch) until the desired height. Just keep fitting untill you like it. The cowl in the example reaches till the chin and can be folded to becomeanormalshortcowl When you've reached the desired length, mark the 4 stitches that will form the ‘edges' with a stitchmarker or a strand of yarn, so you know in which locations you're gonna have to increase for the shoulderpiece.
The Shoulderpiece :
Continue in only knit-stitches. In every round or every other round (depending on the yarn ; exampe was made with every round, but increases a bit too fast), increase one stitch on each side of the marked stitches (8 st. per row). Use the increase you like ; knit the stitch twice, or pick up a loop and make a new stitch. Slowly but surely you'll notice the work becomes square. The increases will thape the 'edges' in the front, the back and the shoulders. You can turn the cowl 45 degrees to get the edges evenly on breast and shoulders, depending on the clothes you wear over them. If you prefer the shoulderpiece to be round instead of square, then don't increase evenly, but divide the increases all over the needle, in every needle on a different location . When you think it's large enough (just keep fitting), cast off all stitches at once.
Finishing.
When you're done, you have this little piece of knitwork that might look a bit like crap. For extra firmness you can crochet arount the outer edge with a row of singe crochets. And now, it't really time to block. Pin the cowl in a perfect square on a soft underground, and cover it woth wet clothes and leave dry for a night. Or you're the lazy method : the steaming-iron. If you choose this, make sure you don't let the iron tough the knitting and flatten the stitches, although for a cowl, that would not be the end of the world. It just does not look so pretty. Preferable iron on a soft underground with a cloth over your knitwork.
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You can , ofcourse, inifnitely improvise on this easy basic pattern. With thin yarn and (a lot!) more stitches, you can make a cowl to be worn as a fake-sweater under another garment. Make it very long and kuch wider, and you can even wear it as a hood. If you have the energie (of a bored) you can go on utill you have a complete poncho. Knit it in fair-isle or double-knitting and it will be warm enough for a Siberian winter. Man especially prefer a cowl over a long scarf, so it's the perfect hand-made git for a boyfriend, it you don't wanna torture hum with a home-made sweater ;-) . And small children won't loose there scarf a lot less easily. Also makes the perfect chrismas-gift.
