An Easy Way to Knit a Bandana Cowl

I love the look of a bandana cowl and the fact that it’s a perfect compromise between a shawl and a cowl. It looks like a shawl but it is a lot easier to wear because the cowl part keeps it snug around your neck and keeps it from falling off.

It also uses less yarn and doesn’t take as long to knit as a shawl, but still gives you a similar look and feel. It’s especially great under a coat because it’s not as bulky as a standard shawl would be.

The typical construction method for a shawl cowl is usually from the top down, so you would knit the cowl part in the round and the shawl part flat on just some of the stitches. (It could also be worked the other way, where you start with just a few stitches, shape the shawl part, then cast on to work the cowl in the round.

The Ansh Cowl from Kavitha Raman is entirely worked flat, then folded and seamed to make the cowl portion. This is a great construction method for people who aren’t comfortable with or don’t want to work in the round, or who just want to try a project that’s constructed in a different way.

This pattern is worked in DK weight yarn and uses eyelets to keep it light. It looks like a great project for those transitional seasons when you might want just a little bit more warmth but not too much.

You can get the pattern for this project on Ravelry.

Looking for more bandana cowl knitting patterns? Check out the Brignadine Cowl, the Cosette, the Out to Lunch Cowl and the Curiosity Colorwork Cowl. These are all great variations on the theme!

[Photo: Kavitha Raman.]

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If you’re new to lace knitting or just aren’t sure how to incorporate the technique into garments, check out these tops and sweaters that use lace as a decorative element.

The easiest lace out there is eyelets, and you can practice them plenty with this eyelet covered sweater from Knitcro Addict. It uses light/DK weight yarn and is worked in four pieces knit flat. It’s intended to be a little cropped and a little oversized, and includes sizes XS to XXL in the pattern.

If you’re in parts of the world where it’s getting colder as you read this, the Nora sweater from Bummbul might be a good choice. This is actually a great one for learning lace because it’s worked in super bulky yarn, which makes it easier to see what you’re doing and makes the lace super graphic. This one just comes in one size, with a 42 inch (106) cm bust, but that could fit a variety of people depending on how much ease you like.

Minimi Knit Design has a cute allover lace cardigan worked in one piece from the bottom up. It’s worked in lace weight mohair held double, which maybe isn’t the best for those new to lace (because it can be hard to rip out) but it sure is pretty. Sizes range to fit from 30 to 66 inches/76 to 168 cm bust measurements.

If you’d rather not have lace all over your sweater, you can knit the Lumi sweater from Originally Lovely, which has a chevron lace pattern on the yoke and is otherwise worked in reverse stockinette stitch. (It’s worked inside out so you don’t have to purl every stitch.) The pattern has 9 sizes from XS to 5XL and uses worsted weight yarn.

Or try the super romantic sookie blouse from Trust the mojo (available on Ravelry). This sweet top is started working flat from the bottom up and has a V-neck and I-cord edgings. The sleeves are worked separately in the round, and the pieces are all joined together to work in one piece to finish off the top. It comes in eight sizes and is available in English and French.

You can also pair lacy sleeves with an otherwise plain top, like on the Starflower Wrap from Annelise Driscoll Gingrow. This intermediate pattern makes a wrap sweater with generous lacy sleeves and a double wrap belt. The pattern has nine sizes, from XS to 5XL, and is available for free from Hobbi.

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