English Rib Cowl Knitting Pattern

English rib is a stitch pattern that’s similar to brioche knitting in that it’s worked with yarn overs and knit two togethers to make a super squishy ribbed pattern.

For this cowl project from Mirella Moments, you’ll use DK weight yarn and work the project flat to make a close-fitting cowl that’s great for cold weather.

Of course a project like this is super easy to modify, too, if you want to. Since it is worked flat, if you want to make it wider, you can cast on more stitches (you need to have an odd number to make the pattern work out, but any number is fine). You could also try knitting with worsted weight yarn instead of DK (and increase the size of the needles used accordingly) to make the project bigger.

And if you want a deeper cowl, just knit more rows before you bind off.

You can work it in a solid color as shown, or try adding stripes. Because the pattern is ribbed it won’t be a super smooth color change, but you can try it on a swatch and see if you like the look before you commit to it.

This would be a great project for gift knitting (which is kind of our theme this month) because the single-row repeat is easy to learn and memorize, the knitting goes pretty quickly, and you only need about 200 yards of yarn. And most people could use a cowl to help them keep cozy in cold weather.

You can grab the free knitting pattern from Mirella Moments. They use the same stitch pattern on the Folgate headband, if you want to make a coordinating set (it uses worsted weight yarn).

And if you’re ready to learn brioche, the Northwind Headband is a great first brioche project!

[Photo: Mirella Moments]

Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use.

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make.

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!).

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn.

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart.

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern.

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.

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