Contains:
- Pattern for coleus-inspired cowl utilizing a soft lining and stranded colorwork
- In-progress photos included
- Suitable for intermediate knitters
Materials you need at home:
- Two colors of bulky-weight yarn: approximately 95 m of the main color (MC) and 45 m of the contrasting color (CC)
- 95 m of DK-weight yarn for the lining. A cashmere blend is especially nice
- 6.0 mm/US 10 40-cm circular needles, or size needed to obtain gauge given for bulky yarn
- 5.5 mm/US 9 40-cm circular needles for lining
- 5.5 mm/US 9 or smaller gauge circulars with a longer cable (not used for knitting, so exact size is not important)
- Stitch markers
- Tapestry needle for sewing seam and tacking down lining
The color work in this cowl was inspired by a particularly lovely coleus plant. A lining hides the floats and makes it extra warm and cozy, but could be omitted if desired. Variegated yarns can be a lot of fun in this pattern!
Knit with two colors of bulky yarn in the round with a garter stitch bottom edge, stranded colorwork in the middle, and ribbing at the top. Once the outside is complete, the lining is knit.
An additional circular needle is used to hold the live lining stitches while they are being tacked down. It should be longer than the 40-cm needles used for knitting both layers and can be a smaller gauge.
Finished measurements: approximately 20.5 cm tall and 51 cm around
Gauge: for outer layer, 15 stitches and 20 rows to 10 cm in stranded stockinette on larger needles with bulky yarn; for lining, 16 stitches and 24 rows to 10 cm in stockinette on smaller needles with DK yarn. (The lining gauge is stretched width-wise by being attached to the outer layer)
Note: Though conversions to the metric system have been made on this page for your convenience, the pattern itself uses American measurements.
Laura Aylor
If ‘knitting designer’ had been one of the job choices for those aptitude tests they give you in high school, I wouldn’t have spent so many years trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. My best subject in high school was math; my best classes in college were logic, drawing, and a commercial art class. After careers in computer programming/analysis and child-rearing, knit design snuck up on me, but I think it’s the perfect use of my odd skill set! I love every step of the process, from figuring out how to actually make what I’ve envisioned to putting the finishing touches on a pattern, not to mention all the knitting that comes in between!
I also love reading and hiking and spending time on Brier Island in Nova Scotia every summer.