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.]

As we get into the part of the year with a lot of food-forward holidays, it might be time to start thinking about knitting some new things for your table. While a few of these are more fall/Thanksgiving focused, just changing up the colors would make others work for Christmas, or keep it neutral and use them all year long.

What got me started thinking about this was the lovely and simple Fresh Bread Dishtowel, a free pattern from Purl Soho. Worked in a lovely cotton and linen blend, the towel is mostly stockinette stitch with a bit of texture on the borders.

You could use this same kind of pattern to make anything from placemats to a table runner, but let’s look at some specific patterns for those kinds of projects as well.

The easy moss stitch table runner from Glass Bird Knits is beginner friendly can can easily be modified to fit your table (or, again, to make placemats instead of or in addition to a runner). This version is worked in macrame cord, but you could also use bulky yarn.

Emielle Design has a garter stitch runner pattern that’s made with braided cotton cord for a lot of texture without a lot of work. But be sure to take a lot of breaks when knitting with cord because it can be rough on your hands!

I also love the diamond pattern on the Hamilton Table Runner from Wyndlestraw Designs. It calls for a DK weight cotton and linen blend yarn and comes in three sizes with different widths and lengths. The pattern has both written and charted instructions.

Amy Marie’s Table Pumpkins (on Ravelry) is a fun mosaic knitting pattern that would be great to use as a table runner through the fall and for Thanksgiving. It uses a worsted weight cotton yarn in two colors, and you can make it as long as you like for your table.

The no cable knit placemats from Yarn Culture Studio have a fun faux cable look that would be great for the table through the fall and winter.

Or here’s another pattern from Wyndlestraw Designs, this time for an easy knit and purl stitch placemat pattern that looks different but still good on both sides. It calls for worsted weight cotton and comes in two sizes for placemats, but also has instructions for coasters, a hot pad and a table pad all using the same stitch.

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