Shawl Collar Cowl

A few days ago a friend of mine sent me a picture of some wool socks with an accompanying message, "Today

is the greatest day." Now, these socks weren't a gift from me or made by me; they weren't even handmade at all.

But I knew exactly why he was so excited. I knew, because it's how I feel about neckwear: Fall is here! I get to

wear wool again!

While Brian is happily slipping his feet into thick cozy socks, I am joyfully layering up with my new Shawl

Collar Cowl. Unabashedly inspired by my college days of yore, this piece harkens back to treking across

campus for early morning class, tailgating for the big game, apple picking and other such quaint and collegiate

autumnal activities.

The Shawl Collar Cowl shamelessly

conjures the classic 'New England professor', if there is such a thing. The gray ribbed exterior transitions into a

smooth, creamy white stockinette interior. Folded over and wrapped around, you'll be outstandingly warm, but

not weighted down! This cowl is knit up in the nearly weightless Blue Sky Techno, a feather-light cloud of baby

alpaca, extra-fine merino and silk.

It may not be quite cold enough here in New York for wool socks, but it certainly is for some knit neckwear.

You won't catch me without a scarf or cowl, shawl or dickie for the next six or so months. If you want to add

the Shawl Collar Cowl to your woolen accessory collection, you can find the full pattern just below!

The Materials

For the cowl’s exterior: 2 skeins of Blue Sky’s Techno, 68% baby alpaca, 10% extra fine merino and

22% silk. I used the color Metro Silver as the Main Color.

For the cowl’s interior: 1 skein of Blue Sky’s Techno. I used the color Fame as the Contrast Color.

US #10 ½ , 24 or 32-inch circular needle

US #9, 24 or 32-inch circular needle

Scrap yarn for a provisional cast on

A crochet hook appropriate for your scrap yarn

The Pattern

The Gauge

16 stitches = 4 inches in rib pattern on larger needle

15 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on smaller needle

Finished Size

25-inch circumference at bottom edge of cowl by 8-inches tall

Pattern Notes

Slip Slip Purl (ssp): slip one purl-wise, slip one knit-wise, insert the left needle purlwise into the back of the

two slipped stitches, purl the two together. This is a single stitch decrease.

Make 1 Right (m1R-purlwise) on the wrong side: pick up the bar between the last stitch you worked and the one

you're about to work, bringing the needle from the front to the back, then purl into the back of this stitch.

Make 1 Left (m1L-purlwise) on the wrong side: pick up the bar between the last stitch you worked and the one

you're about to work, bringing the needle from the back to the front, then purl into the front of this stitch.

Begin the Exterior Rib

Use the provisional cast on method, the Main Color and the larger needle to cast on 151 stitches.

Row 1 (wrong side): *P1, k1, repeat from * to last stitch, p1.

Row 2 (right side): K1, p1, ssk, knit to last four stitches, k2tog, p1, k1. (2 stitches decreased)

Row 3 (wrong side): P1, k1, ssp (see pattern notes above), (k1, p1) to last five stitches, k1, p2togtbl, k1, p1. (2

stitches decreased)

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 four more times. (131 stitches)

Continue the Body and Add Darts

DART Row 1 (right side): K1, p1, ssk, k36, place marker (pm), ssk, k7, k2tog, pm, k29, pm, ssk, k7, k2tog, pm,

knit to last four stitches, k2tog, p1, k1. (125 stitches)

Row 2 (wrong side): P1, k1, ssp, (k1, p1) to one stitch before first marker, k1, slip marker (sm), p2, (k1, p1) 3

times, p1, sm, (k1, p1) to one stitch before nextmarker, k1, sm, p2, (k1, p1) 3 times, p1, sm, (k1, p1) to last five

stitches, k1, p2togtbl, k1, p1. (2 stitches decreased)

Row 3 (right side): K1, p1, ssk, knit to last four stitches, k2tog, p1, k1. (121 stitches)

Row 4: Repeat Row 2. (119 stitches)

DART Row 5: K1, p1, ssk, knit to first marker, sm, ssk, k5, k2tog, sm, knit to next marker, sm, ssk, k5, k2tog,

sm, knit to last four stitches, k2tog, p1, k1. (113 stitches)

Row 6: P1, k1, ssp, (k1, p1) to last five stitches, k1 p2togtbl, k1, p1. (2 stitches decreased)

Row 7: K1, p1, ssk, knit to last four stitches, k2tog, p1, k1. (109 stitches)

Row 8: Repeat Row 6. (107 stitches)

DART Row 9: K1, p1, ssk, knit to first marker, sm, ssk, k3, k2tog, sm, knit to next marker, sm, ssk, k3, k2tog,

sm, knit to last four stitches, k2tog, p1, k1. (101 stitches)

Row 10: P1, k1, ssp, (k1, p1) to one stitch before first marker, k1, sm, p2, k1, p2, sm, (k1, p1) to one stitch

before next marker, k1, sm, p2, k1, p2, sm, (k1, p1) to last five stitches, k1, p2togtbl, k1, p1. (2 stitches

decreased)

Row 11: K1, p1, ssk, knit to last four stitches, k2tog, p1, k1. (97 stitches)

Row 12: Repeat Row 10. (95 stitches)

Continue the Body and Add Interior Darts

DART Row 1 (right side): K1, p1, ssk, knit to first marker, remove marker, ssk, k1, k2tog, remove marker, knit

to next marker, remove marker, ssk, k1, k2tog, remove marker, knit to last four stitches, k2tog, p1, k1. (89

stitches)

Row 2 (wrong side): P1, k1, ssp, (k1, p1) to last five stitches, k1, p2togtbl, k1, p1. (2 stitches decreased)

Row 3: K1, p1, ssk, knit to last four stitches, k2tog, p1, k1. (2 stitches decreased)

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 nine more times. (49 stitches)

Repeat Row 2 one more time. (47 stitches)

Increasing for the Interior

Cut the Main Color, join the Contrast Color, and change to smaller needle.

Row 1 (right side): Purl.

Row 2 (wrong side): P1, k1, m1R-purlwise (see pattern notes above), purl to last 2 stitches, m1L-purlwise (see

pattern notes above), k1, p1. (2 stitches increased)

Row 3: K1, p1, m1R, knit to last 2 stitches, m1L, p1, k1. (2 stitches increased)

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 nine more times. (87 stitches)

Repeat Row 2 one more time. (89 stitches)

DART Next Row (right side): K1, p1, m1R, k26, pm, m1R, k1, m1L, pm, k31, pm, m1R, k1, m1L, pm, knit to

last 2 stitches, m1L, p1, k1. (95 stitches)

Next Row (wrong side): P1, k1, m1R-purlwise, purl to last 2 stitches, m1L-purlwise, k1, p1. (2 stitches

increased)

Next Row: K1, p1, m1R, knit to last 2 stitches, m1L, p1, k1. (99 stitches)

Repeat the last wrong side row one more time. (101 stitches)

DART Next Row (right side): K1, p1, m1R, knit to first marker, sm, m1R, knit to next marker, m1L, sm, knit to

next marker, sm, m1R, knit to next marker, m1L, sm, knit to the last 2 stitches, m1L, p1, k1. (107 stitches)

Next Row (wrong side): P1, k1, m1R-purlwise, purl to last 2 stitches, m1L-purlwise, k1, p1. (2 stitches

increased)

Next Row: K1, p1, m1R, knit to last 2 stitches, m1L, p1, k1. (111 stitches)

Repeat the last wrong side row one more time. (113 stitches)

Repeat last four rows one more time. (125 stitches)

DART Next Row (right side): K1, p1, m1R, knit to first marker, sm, m1R, knit to next marker, m1L, sm, knit to

next marker, sm, m1R, knit to next marker, m1L, sm, knit to the last 2 stitches, m1L, p1, k1. (131 stitches)

Next Row (wrong side): P1, k1, m1R-purlwise, purl to last 2 stitches, m1L-purlwise, k1, p1. (133 stitches)

Next Row (right side): K1, p1, m1R, knit to last 2 stitches, m1L, p1, k1. (135 stitches)

Repeat last two rows 4 more times. (151 stitches)

Cut yarn.

Fold and Finish

Remove the provisional cast on and put the live Main Color stitches on the larger needle.

Fold the knit piece along the purled edge so the wrong sides are facing each other. With the Main Color side

facing you, hold the two circular needles parallel and join the Main Color. You will knit across both needles at

once, placing markers as you go: K50, pm, k51, pm, knit to end.

Here is how: with the yarn in back, use the larger circular needle and insert it knitwise into the first stitch on the

front needle and then into the first stitch on the back needle. Knit the stitches together, pulling the needle back

through both the back and front stitches. This Row:

With the Main Color side facing and the live stitches along the top, place the far right 50 stitches on the smaller

needle.

Fold the far left stitches under and the far right stitches under those, as pictured above.

Holding the two circular needles parallel, use the larger needle to do a three-needle bind off of the first 50

stitches. Here is how: with the yarn in front, use the larger circular needle and insert it purlwise into the first

stitch on the back needle and then into the first stitch on the front needle. Purl the stitches together, pulling the

needle back through both the front and back stitches. Repeat this. Now there are two stitches on your right

needle, slip the first stitch up and over the second stitch and off the needle, just like a normal bind off. Continue.

After you’ve bound off those first 50 stitches, removing the markers as you go, you will continue binding off,

purlwise, the remaining stitches.

Sew up the diagonal edge, attaching the stockinette interior to the ribbed exterior edge. Repeat for second

diagonal edge. Sew in your ends and you are finished!