Good morning, everyone! This week I thought I would share a knitting pattern I made. I wanted to make a light, airy cowl to use as an accessory throughout the year, and since we live in Arizona, that meant it had to be as open and lacy as possible. I also used it at last month’s wool festival to show how all the different colorways in my Jane Austen Silky Sparkly Lace yarn worked up. Here’s my lovely daughter modeling it:
The cowl is made of a heavy lace-weight yarn. The total height is 13-1/2 inches, and the total circumference is 28 inches. Of course, everyone’s gauge is different, but it really shouldn’t matter that much for this project.
The whole cowl only weighs 1 ounce and took about 250 yards total, so this could definitely be a stash buster for some leftover lace-weight yarn, but I used a little of each colorway of my Jane Austen Silky Sparkly Lace yarn base. Here’s the order I chose for the colorways: White, Jane Fairfax, White, Anne Elliot, White, Lizzie, White, Jane Bennet, White, Emma, White, Elinor, White.
You can use anywhere from one to six different variegated colorways and alternate them any way you see fit.
If you would prefer to use just one colorway, scroll down to the bottom and take a look at the Alternate Pattern.
Either way, if you do decide to buy any of my Jane Austen Lace colorways to make this cowl, let me know and I’ll include the 50 yards of undyed white yarn you’ll want to go with it at no extra cost for as long as I still have some.
The Pattern
Needles and Notions
Size 6 US circular needles that are 24 inches in length
One stitch marker
Yarn
You’ll need a total of about 250 yards of heavy laceweight yarn such as my Jane Austen Silky Sparkly Lace. You’ll want about 50 yards of a solid color and 200 yards of some combination of variegated colorways. If you are using a different yarn, it might help to know that one full skein of my Silky Sparkly Lace is 100 grams/3.5 ounces and contains 875 yards.
If you print this out, you can use the checkboxes to check off each row as you go.
Casting On
Cast on 100 stitches in white or another solid color. Place stitch marker.
Solid Section
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 1: Purl all stitches
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 2: Knit all stitches
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 3: Purl all stitches
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 4: Knit all stitches
Lace Section
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 1: Knit all stitches
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 2: *YO, K2tog* and repeat to stitch marker
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 3: Knit all stitches
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 4: *YO, K2tog* and repeat to stitch marker
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 5: Knit all stitches
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 6: *YO, K2tog* and repeat to stitch marker
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 7: Knit all stitches
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 8: *YO, K2tog* and repeat to stitch marker
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 9: Knit all stitches
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 10: *YO, K2tog* and repeat to stitch marker
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 11: Knit all stitches
□ □ □ □ □ □ □ Row 12: *YO, K2tog* and repeat to stitch marker
Repeat Solid Section alternating with Lace Section. When you have completed 7 solid sections and 6 lace sections, you will be ready to move to the final solid section below.
Final Solid Section
□ Row 1: Knit all stitches
□ Row 2: Purl all stitches
□ Row 3: Knit all stitches
□ Row 4: Purl all stitches
Binding Off
Bind off using a super stretchy bind off such as the Russian Bind Off.
Here’s a video from Very Pink Knits (her videos are awesome, by the way) showing how to do it: https://youtu.be/FxD-OJAk9-8
N.B. I am often tempted to ignore instructions like this when I am following someone else’s pattern. In this case, it is really important to use a super-stretchy bind-off or it may not fit over your head. Ask me how I know.
Alternate Method for Just One Skein of Variegated Yarn
Needles and Notions
Size 6 US circular needles that are 24 inches in length
One stitch marker
Yarn
You’ll need a total of about 250 yards of heavy laceweight yarn such as my Jane Austen Silky Sparkly Lace. One full skein is 100 grams/3.5 ounces and contains 875 yards. While I recommend multiple colorways for the first pattern option, for this alternate pattern, you just need one colorway of your choice.
Beginning Solid Section
CO 100 stitches. Place stitch marker.
Row 1: Purl all stitches
Row 2: Knit all stitches
Row 3: Purl all stitches
Row 4: Knit all stitches
Lace Section
Row 1: *YO, K2tog* and repeat to stitch marker
Row 2: Knit all stitches
Repeat Row 1 and 2 of the lace section until you have knit 82 rows of the lace section or about 13 inches or until you like the total height.
Final Solid Section
Row 1: Purl all stitches
Row 2: Knit all stitches
Row 3: Purl all stitches
Row 4: Knit all stitches
Bind Off
Bind off using a super stretchy bind off such as the Russian Bind Off. Here’s a video from Very Pink Knits showing how to do it: https://youtu.be/FxD-OJAk9-8
N.B. I am often tempted to ignore instructions like this when I am following someone else’s pattern. In this case, it is really important to use a super-stretchy bind-off. Otherwise the cowl might not fit over your head. Ask me how I know.
I hope you enjoy the pattern. I’d love to see pictures if you use it!
