I finished my warm winter cowl, and I love it so much I wanted to share the pattern with you guys.
The whole cowl thing has been a slow transition for me. I mean, don't scarves work just fine on their own? And how do you wear a cowl, anyway, so that it's functional and not just a decorative giant wrapped accessory on top of your coat? So many confusions.
The fact is, a cowl slung over your head and dropped down like a necklace does an amazing job of keeping your neck warm and, consequently, an awful lot of the rest of you. Who knew? And living in an uninsulated house as I do, this is a pretty big appeal even indoors. Still, a loose-fitting super soft necklace cowl doesn't face down brisk winter winds. I needed something that would hug my neck, stay in place, and cover my chin if I need it to.
And that's where the UpCountry Cowl comes in.
This cowl is designed to fit snugly and cover some serious neck territory. Super-elastic ribbing at the top and bottom of the cowl hold it in place on your chin even if you put it on upside down. A checkerboard stitch inclines the fabric to fold itself, accordian-style, into your coat collar if you pull it down a bit.
And the texture is not just fun to knit - it looks great in Twisted's self-striping yarn.
I've included instructions for two sizes: 'mine' and 'bigger' to cover most of your gift knitting needs. You can get either one out of a single skein of Duchess.
And... yes, I did try the cowl on as a hat, and it's awesome, so now I'm knitting up a hat sample and I'll be posting that pattern as a second freebie later this week or early next. We've been through a lot this year so you deserve more than one present, heh.
(the cowl also makes a great-looking, super-warm headband when it's folded in two or three layers. I might try that for skating this winter.)
UpCountry Cowl
Materials
Twisted Fiber Art Duchess Self-Striping yarn (100% superwash
merino wool, 240 yards, 100g), 1 skein
4.0mm 16” circular or double point needles, or size to
obtain gauge
stitch marker
darning needle
Gauge
20 sts, 28 rows = 4” in stocking stitch, after blocking
Finished
Dimensions
S (M): 18 (19.5)” circumference, 8.75” long. Shown in
size Small.
Level of Difficulty
Level of Difficulty
Easy: stitches include knit, purl, and knit through back loop. Cowl is worked on a circular needle and cast off without decreases.
3 comments:
Love it, Mary! I'm adding it to my queue...
I'm going to have to knit it again myself... I haven't taken mine off all day ;^)
Thank you for the free patterns. I'm anxious to try the hat and matching cowl.
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