Easy Tweedy Cowl
designed by Karalee Harding
This simple and versatile cowl pattern is designed to show off handspun yarn, but nearly any commercial woolly yarn would work well too. It can be knitted at virtually any gauge, limited only by how finely you want to work (if you have a very fine yarn, you might wish to use it doubled, for a quicker project). The stitch pattern is an easy mix of knits and purls, nearly identical on right and wrong sides, which produces a lovely textured fabric that is suitable for both men and women. Because it is knitted in the round, and features bands of stockinette and reverse stockinette stitch alternating with ribbing, any biasing in the fabric due to imbalanced yarn (like mine!) will be minimally evident.
Materials Needed
about 2-4 oz or $50{-}100\mathrm{g}$ of any yarn you like shown in my own handspun, superwash Bluefaced Leicester wool, handpainted by Spunky Eclectic in Lame Duck Mallard; 3-ply, 15 wpi; 200 yds/ $183\mathrm{m}$ in $3.9\;\mathrm{oz}/110\mathrm{g}$ 16-inch or 24-inch circular needle, in the size needed to obtain your desired gauge (see pattern notes) I used a 24-inch circular needle, size US 4 $(3.5\mathrm{mm})$ , with a resulting gauge of 23 stitches and 35 rounds to 4 inches stitch marker yarn needle
Finished Measurements
(unblocked) 20 inches in circumference, 6 inches high; (blocked) 23 inches in circumference, 9.25 inches high - but you can knit yours to whatever size you like (see pattern notes)
Pattern Notes
For this pattern a gauge swatch is particularly important, especially if you are working with handspun yarn. But your swatch need not be extensive or in pattern: a flat swatch in stockinette stitch should give you a good enough idea of your gauge. Think about how close to your neck you would like your cowl to fit (this will determine the circumference of your cowl), and make sure your swatch reflects the amount of stiffness or drape you would like in the final product (for a close-fitting cowl you might want a sturdier fabric that will stand up against your neck; for a looser-fitting one you might prefer a more flowing fabric that will fall in gentle folds). When you have found the gauge you like, multiply the number of stitches per inch by the number of inches in the desired circumference of the cowl to give you the number of stitches to cast on. (If you choose a close-fiting cowl, be particularly careful to cast on and bind off loosely, so that you will be able to put it on over your head!) For the stitch pattern, you will need to cast on a multiple of 6 stitches, so adjust your total accordingly.
Pattern Instructions
Using any stretchy cast-on method, cast on the number of stitches that you calculated in the last section, being sure that you have a multiple of 6 (I cast on 132 stitches for my cowl). Join for knitting in the round, being careful not to twist the cast-on edge. Place a marker for the beginning and end of the round, and work in the following pattern: Rounds 1-4: Knit all stitches Rounds 5-7: Knit 3, purl 3, repeat around. Rounds 8-9: Purl all stitches Rounds 10-12: Purl 3, knit 3, repeat around. Repeat rounds 1-12 as many times as desired, until your cowl is as long as you want it or you are about to run out of yarn, and then bind off loosely in pattern. Note that it really doesn't matter where in the pattern you end up (or start, for that matter): if you end or begin with a band of ribbing (rounds 5-7 or 10-12), your edge will curl less, while if you end or begin with a band of stockinette or reverse stockinette (rounds 1-4 or 8-9) you will get a little curl at the edge. I bound off on round 11 of the 7th pattern repetition. You will notice that as you knit your cowl, it scrunches up quite a bit: but it will flatten out when you block it, so choose your length accordingly. (My cowl was only 6 inches high unblocked, but 9.25 inches high after blocking.) Blocking need not be elaborate: after weaving in the yarn ends, just soak the cowl in water (with or without wool wash) for 15-30 minutes; rinse if needed; and lay out to dry, smoothing the fabric to make it lie flat. This pattern is offered free for your personal, non-commercial use. In other words, please use and enjoy this pattern, but do not sell it or any items made from it. If you have questions or comments about the pattern, particularly if you find any errors, please contact me at karaleeharding@gmail.com. Pattern copyright 2010 by Karalee Harding. All rights reserved.
Credits
Stitch pattern adapted from Harris Tweed Pattern in Barbara Walker's first Treasury of Knitting Patterns (Schoolhouse Press, 1998).
