Impish
a cowl pattern by Nicola Ede Simple crossed stitches create an impressively textured cowl that looks far more difficult than it really is. Even the wrong side also looks pretty! Existing skills required: casting on and off, knit and purl stitches, Ktbl, working in the round
Nicola Ede,August2014 For queries, please contact me on Ravelry; my user name is bassoon-girl
Measurements and Gauge
Worked at a gauge of 7 sts / 10 rounds to the inch (in stocking / stockinette stitch), the cowl has a circumference of 40 cm / 16" and height of 12.5cm / 5". You can change the circumference by changing the number of cast-on stitches; just make sure it is still a multiple of 4.
Yarn
4ply / fingering weight yarn: approximately 95 metres / 105 yards The sample shown used 25 grams of Fyberspates Vivacious 4ply (100% superwash merino: 365m per 100g) in the shade "Tweed Imps".
Needles and Notions
2.75mm / US 2 circular needle, 40cm / 16" long Cable needle\* Scissors & tapestry needle
Abbreviations
K knit P purl sts stitches tbl through the back loop LT Left Twist: hold next stitch (a K stitch) in front of work\*, P1, then knit held stitch RT Right Twist: hold next stitch (a P stitch) at the back of work\*, K1, then purl held stitch. C2R Cable 2 Right: hold next stitch at back of work\*, K1, then knit the held stitch. \* The tiny "microcables" can be done much more easily without a cable needle. There is a good tutorial at http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/FEATwin07TT.html, or search for "crossed stitches"on YouTube.
Instructions
Cast on 120 sts and join into a round. Instead of placing a start-of-round marker on the needles, for the main pattern it is easier to use a recloseable marker that can be attached to a single knit stitch (e.g. a safety pin), so that the start of round can move with the travelling stitch. This should hopefully become clearer once you start the main pattern!
LOWER BORDER -TWISTED RIB
Rounds 1-5: (K1 tbl, P3) around, i.e. 30 times.
MAIN SECTION -ZIGZAGS
Left Travelling Round (L): work (LT, P2) all the way around, i.e. 30 times. Right Travelling Round (R): work (RT, P2) all the way around. The following 20 alternate (odd-numbered) rounds are worked as follows: 1L, 2R, 3L, 4R, 4L, 3R, 2L, 1R On the rounds in between (even-numbered), work each stitch as it appears, i.e. K sts are knitted (through the front loop, as normal) and P sts are purled. Total for section: 40 rounds
UPPER BORDER-TWISTED RIB
Rounds 1-4: (K1 tbl, P3) around. Cast off in the same pattern and weave in the two yarn ends. Block lightly.
