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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The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them.

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits.

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves.

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit.

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]

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