Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Free Knitting Pattern: White Caps Cowl

by

white caps copwl purl beeIt’s amazing what you can do with simple stitches and a well-chosen yarn. Or, in the case of the White Caps Cowl from the Purl Bee, a couple of well-chosen yarns.

This striking cowl is simple stockinette stitch, with a bit of shaping, but it looks like so much more than that thanks to the yarns: a slubby cotton yarn thick and thin and a smooth ribbon of silk. Alternating these two yarns not only makes stripes of color but of texture, and the slubby yarn and differing gauges means you get parts of the cowl that look more solid and parts that are more airy.

I love this piece in white but it would be lovely in any of the available colors. You could even amp up the contrast even more by choosing different colors in each fiber, if you wanted.

By the way, it turns out I’m not the only person in love with this piece: both of the yarns used to create it are out of stock at Purl Bee as I write this. Nothing wrong with being popular!

[Photo by the Purl Bee.]

Looking to buy your Yarn online? Check out these online yarn specials.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

Check out these books dedicated to Knitted Cowl Patterns still looking for more cowl patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

Comments

Have you read?

Go Back to the ’90s with this Set of Knitting Patterns

If you want to feel personally attacked by a collection of knitting and crochet patterns as I was, check out the “90s Mod Inspired” pattern lookbook from Yarnspirations. 

It’s actually a great collection of patterns for folks who want to stitch up that Y2K look again (or for the first time). There’s an oversized, striped grandpa cardigan! A (crocheted) plaid messenger bag! A boxy argyle vest, and a rolled hem sweater the likes of which I bought in a store in the ’90s and knit a replica of later. 

There’s also a section of “Prep School” patterns (think “Clueless,” they’re even called things like “As if” and “Betty”) including a granny square tie and crocheted wrap skirt, and a knit cabled pullover, beret and cardigan with blocky stripes. Other sections include casual collegiate, punk and mod, and academia. 

Some of the patterns repeat among the sections but there’s a nice selection for people who want a little throwback for their back to school and fall wardrobes. 

Since I had this sweater, we’ll take a closer look at the Caron Cropped Stripy Sweater. The one I knit from a pattern of my own devising in the mid ’00s was tonal blues, but this one calls for two colorways of Colorama Haze, a fuzzy self-striping worsted weight yarn. 

The pattern comes in six sizes, with chest measurements ranging from 39 to 60 inches (that’s 99 to 152.5 cm). Clearly that’s a lot of ease at the lower sizes, since the smallest size is meant to fit an actual chest measurement from 28-34 inches, or 71-86.5 cm. 

The sweater is a modified drop shoulder worked flat in pieces and seamed. That means the stripes probably won’t match around the body but it’s still a classic look. This one does have ribbing at the neckline, where the original sweater I owned and my re-creation had rolled hems throughout, but you can do it either way depending on your preference. 

Do any of these projects remind you of clothes you might have worn or knit in the past? I’d love to hear about it!