WOLF & FAUN KNITS
RIVERS & RAVENS COWL
By Nat Raedwulf
Rivers and Ravens Cowl was designed during a time of severe drought on Vancouver Island, where I call home. I selected Malabrigo's Arroyo (which means brook or stream in Spanish) as a meditation prayer for rain, and often soon after working on the project, the rains would begin. Proof that knitting is magical! My most favourite place to work on this pattern was by my local lake, where the ravens would often visit and sing to us on the shoreline, and so I soon associated this cowl with the rivers and ravens that surround me. This cowl is knit in sport weight using a mosaic stitch pattern to create a colorwork design while only using one strand of yarn at a time. With both charted and written instructions, this is a good introduction to someone wanting to try their hand at slipped stitch colourwork for the first time, or for the more experienced knitter. The slip stitch colorwork creates a dense fabric, perfect for keeping one warm during the chillier months of the year. Knit from the top-down, this cowl flares out slightly at the bottom to add extra coverage over the shoulders and collarbone.
Finished Measurements:
One size: Top of Cowl: 51 cm / 20 inches circumference Height: 36 cm/ 14 inches Bottom of Cowl: 71 cm / 28 inches circumference
Materials:
- 3.5 mm / US Sz 4 needles curricular needles, either 16 inch or long enough to do magic loop. Approximately 200 meters / 220 yards each of Main Colour (MC) and Contrasting Colour (CC) of sport weight yarn. (For the MC, I used 1 skein of Malabrigo Arroyo 100 g (335 yards / 305 meters) in colourway “416 Indiecita" and for the CC I used 2 balls of Milamia's Naturally Soft Merino sport weight 50g (136 yards / 125 m) in colourway “Pitch Black 100" 一 Stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round. Tapestry needle for weaving in ends.
Techniques Used:
Gauge:
CO - Cast On Pm - Place marker K - Knit Sl - Slip stitch Wyib - with yarn held in back. K f&b - Knit into the front and back of the stitch (increase 1 stitch) BO - Bind Off 20 stitches x 32 rows = 4" / 10 cm in stockinette stitch on 3.5 mm needles.
Notes on Slipped Stitch Knitting:
Slip Stitch Knitting is a technique that allows you to knit colourwork fabric with multiple colours while only knitting with one strand of colour at a time. It is a simple technique that involves alternating your yarn colour every two rows, knitting the stitches you wish to use in that colour while slipping the stitches you wish to carry over from the previous row. Useful Tip: one thing about slip-stitch knitting is that you can end up with a tight fabric easily. One way to to deal with this is to pull your recently knit stitches away from the needles. Every 10 stitches or so I pull the freshly knit stitches down and away from my right needle to help stretch the fabric out. Corrugated Ribbing: Corrugated ribbing is when you create a 'ribbed fabric that involves knitting and slipping stitches instead of knitting and purling. To create a corrugated ribbing, you will be alternating knitting 2 and then slipping 2 stitches rather than the traditional “knit 2, purl 2".
Directions:
Using CC, CO 140 stitches, join in the round and pm.
Corrugated Ribbing:
Row 1 & 2: (MC) \*k2, sl2 wyib \* Repeat from \* until end of round. Row 3 & 4; (CC) \*sl 2 wyib, k 2 \*. Repeat from \* until end of round.
Repeat (Rows 1 -4 ) 6 more times for a total of 7 repeats.
Body:
Set-up Rows: K 2 rounds in MC Begin Body Pattern: (Find chart below written instructions) Row 1 & 2(CC): \*K7, sl 1 wyib, (k1, sl 1 wyib) 3 times \*; rep from \* until end of round Row 3 & 4 (MC): \*Sl 1 wyib, k7, (sl 1 wyib, k1) 3 times\*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 5 & 6 (CC): \*K1, sl 1 wyib, k7, sl 1 wyib, (k1, sl 1 wyib) 2 times\*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 7 & 8 (MC): \*S 1 wyib, k1, sl 1 wyib, k7, (sl 1 wyib, k1) 2 times \*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 9 & 10 (CC): \*(K1, sl 1 wyib) 2 times, k7, sl 1 wyib, k1, sl 1 wyib \*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 11 & 12 (MC): \*Sl 1 wyib, (k1, sl1 wyib) 2 times, k7, sl 1 wyib, k1 \*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 13 & 14 (CC): \*(K1, sl 1 wyib) 3 times, k7, sl 1 wyib \*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 15 & 16 (MC): \*Sl 1 wyib, (k1, sl 1 wyib) 3 times, k7 \*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 17 & 18 (CC): \*K7, sl 1 wyib (k1, sl 1 wyib) 3 times \*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 19 & 20 (MC): \*K6, (sl 1 wyib, k1) 4 times \*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 21 & 22 (CC): \*K5, sl 1 wyib, (k1, sl 1 wyib) 3 times, k2 \*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 23 & 24 (MC): \*K4, sl 1 wyib, (k1, s 1 wyib) 3 times, k3 \*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 25& 26 (CC): \*K3, sl 1 wyib, (k1, s 1 wyib) 3 times, k4 \*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 27 & 28 (MC): \*K2, sl 1 wyib, (k1 s1 wyib) 3 times, k5\* ; rep from \* until end of round. Row 29 & 30 (CC): \*(K1, s 1 wyib) 4 times, k6\*; rep from \* until end of round. Row 31 & 32 (MC): \*Sl 1 wyib (k1, sl 1 wyib) 3 times, k7 \*; rep from \* until end of round.
Repeat Rows 1 - 32 twice more.
Bottom Increases:
Set-up Row(CC): Knit 1 round. Increase Row (CC): K f&b, k2, k f&b \*k3, k f&b \*; rep from \* until end of round. (176 sts total) Repeat Rows 1 - 4 of corrugated knitting 7 times. (CC) BO Loosely. Sew in ends and block
