Big Scarves and Cowls to Keep You Warm

I may have mentioned that my husband has tasked me with knitting gifts for his team of six at work, and I’m trying to do cowls for everyone (well, and a scarf for the man). And while I really want to design them all myself (simple patterns, nothing at all crazy) I keep seeing great patterns for scarves and cowls that look super warm and that I just want to knit (if we’re being honest, I want to knit them for myself, but that’s another issue).

So if you’re in the market for a cozy scarf or cowl to keep yourself warm or to gift to someone this year, check out these great patterns.

The Tiverton Tweed Mesh Scarf from Classic Elite Yarns is just about big enough to be called a shawl, but the eyelet stitch makes it comfortable and the tweed yarn makes it perfect for fall.

I don’t know why this one is only showing as a PDF, but the Baby Alpaca Brush Ribbon Scarf from Plymouth Yarn is super warm and easy to knit and one you’ll want for a special gift for someone who loves softness.

The fun and chunky Learn to Cable Scarf from Lion Brand will surely teach you to do just that, and the color blocking is pretty fun, though of course you could knit it in one color, too.

Also from Lion Brand is the Mountain View Scarf, a really quick, easy and big knit sure to keep you cozy in the mountains or anywhere else.

The Carmela Cowl from Filatura di Crosa is a giant stockinette stitch loop but the yarn used has so much texture it looks almost like the project has bobbles. Super cool.

The Big Rib Cowl from Yarnspirations is a really quick and easy knit, and worked in a neutral color it would be great for a guy, too.

The Cleo Cowl is another great one for beginners, and the yarn used looks like something you’d just want to curl up in all winter long.

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Magical Woodland Knits by Clare Garland is a few years old as I write this, but it’s such a fun book I couldn’t resist sharing it. Step into a magical forest full of realistic woodland creatures including rabbit, deer and squirrel, birds and mice, to name a few.

In all there are 12 creatures, and though they are rather small (the wolf is the largest at 14.5 inches/37 cm tall and 18.5 inches/47 cm long), they are so detailed these are definitely not projects for new knitters.

One of the smaller projects, for example, is the robin, at 5/5 inches/14 cm long. It calls for nine different kinds of yarn. Sometimes some are held together, while others are worked with on their own. This pattern only includes three pages of instructions, but the print is rather small and in that time there are six different sets of short rows. None of this makes it too difficult for a knitter with experience reading detailed patterns, working short rows and working with multiple strands of yarn at once, but it’s worth knowing going in that even for small projects you’ll need a lot of supplies and time to work on them.

These are also not meant to be children’s toys, as they can include wires and other supports that could be a danger to little ones.

The process photos often look like taxidermy on a tiny scale, with little animal pelts stretched out and tons of stitch markers showing where and how things go together.

The finished animals are so pretty it’s certainly worth the effort to stitch up these creatures. You might be tempted to make all 12 and set up your own forest scene or use them to decorate your Christmas tree. You can check out all the patterns on Ravelry.

Along the way you’ll also find a little folklore about the animals, charming drawings and pretty photos of the finished animals, too. In the back you’ll find some helpful techniques like picking up stitches, making I-cord and working short rows.

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 12 patterns. Published 2020 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

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