Chunky Pinstripe Cowl Knitting Pattern

I’ll be getting much deeper into quick and easy knitting patterns with high gift-giving potential really soon, but in the meantime, this cowl would be a great one to knit for yourself when the first cold snap of the season comes on, or to start making a bunch of now for all those gift-giving opportunities that are coming up quicker than we would like to admit.

This pinstripe chunky cowl knitting pattern is an easy project for beginners. The cowl is worked in the round on circular needles and can be completed in an evening while catching up on your favorite show. These cowls, designed by Fox and Pine Stitches, pair nicely with their coordinating hat knitting patterns, so you can make a whole set for yourself or someone else if you like.

The pattern comes in three sizes, to fit toddlers, children and women, and because the body of the cowl is worked in stockinette in one-round stripes, it will work up super fast. (Stripes make the knitting go faster. That’s just science.)

It’s also super fast because it uses super bulky yarn in two colors. Or try holding two strands of worsted weight yarn together for a different look. They’re so quick and easy to make and infinitely giftable, you’re sure to be making a bunch of different versions once you’ve made you first.

The free pattern for the chunky pinstripe cowl is available from Fox and Pine Stitches.

Looking for more projects using super bulky yarn? I’ve got a nice collection of projects that use super bulky yarn leftovers (or small quantities) that you should definitely check out. That roundup has 30 different patterns you can make, including hats, mitts, slippers and more, many of which use less than 100 yards (or about 91 meters) of yarn.

[Photo: Fox and Pine Stitches]

There are two schools of thought when it comes to instructional books about knitting. Either focus in one particular technique or kind of knitting (stranded knitting, say, or brioche) or try to cover a little bit of everything in a reference book that knitters will use throughout their careers.

The Knitting Book by Frederica Patmore and Dr. Vikki Haffenden aims to be the second kind. The subtitle is: a step-by-step guide to creating imaginative projects for the home and to wear. I’m not sure it does that, exactly, but it does include a quick look at a lot of different techniques and stitch patterns you might use in your projects.

A “guide to creating imaginative projects” sounds to me like it’s about design, but this book is not. There’s 1/3 of a page about altering patterns that only talks about how to add length to a sleeve and adjust where the increases go.

There’s nothing about measuring your body (the section on choosing a size in a pattern only suggests measuring a garment you already own), general garment construction, ease or stitch pattern multiples. The section on gauge (which is the last third of the page with choosing a garment size and altering patterns, discussed above) just says to knit a swatch, block and measure it to compare to a pattern, with no discussion on how you might use your swatch to design your own project or alter a pattern to meet your gauge.

If you ignore the subtitle, what you will find is a lot of information about different kinds of knitting and various techniques you might want to try on your projects. There are 20 cast ons and 15 bind off options, for instance, all discussed before you learn how to knit or purl. (Another quibble I have with this book is the order in which things are presented, but that’s relatively minor.)

You’ll find quick hits on increases and decreases, twists and cables, lace, colorwork, textured effects like fisherman’s rib and brioche, loops, mosaic knitting, double knitting, decorative stitches, shadow knitting, bias knitting, mitered squares, entrelac and more. There are tips for selvedge stitches, knitting with beads, adding buttonholes, picking up stitches and more.

A few patterns at the back give knitters a taste of some of the techniques included, but they’re not rated by skill level and the first one is a bias knit gradient scarf worked in six different colors of mohair, which isn’t a thing I’d wish on any beginner.

And I guess that’s maybe what my issue with the book is. I don’t know if it’s meant for beginners and it doesn’t seem to, either. I feel like this book would be overwhelming to new knitters and doesn’t really give you a place to start or all the information you might need to do projects well.

The variety of techniques included is fun, and there are also stitch patterns in the back you can use on your own projects, but again it doesn’t really provide any guidance for how to design your own projects so I don’t know how helpful all of that is.

I want to like books like this because having one reference that helps you with a lot of different things is great, I’m just not sure this is the one. If you can find it at your library or local book store and flip through it before buying, I think that would be a great idea to see if it’s a book that would be helpful for you.

And if you have this book and love it please let me know! I’m sure it’s good for someone I’m just not sure who.

About the book: 336 pages, hardcover. Published 2026 by DK. Suggested retail price $40.

Have you read?