Get Double the Warmth with This Cowl Knitting Pattern

One of the potential problems with colorwork knitting, at least when it comes to stranded or Fair Isle styles of knitting, is that you don’t always want to have the back of the work on display. Other knitters will appreciate the beauty of perfectly aligned floats (and I actually once had a storebought sweater that included floats as a design element) but most people won’t, and they also have the potential to snag on things, say, if you’ve knit a stranded scarf with the back side exposed.

The Kenora Cowl pattern from Laura Chau eliminates that problem by having you knit a lining in a contrasting color that covers up your floats.

In all you need three colors of yarn for this project — two for the front side colorwork and one for the inside lining. The inside can be worked with a thinner yarn, and I love the idea of throwing in a mohair or cashmere yarn on the inside for extra warm fuzzies.

The pattern can be worked in either fingering or worsted weight yarn, and it begins with a provisional cast on to work the geometric checkerboard pattern on the outside of the cowl, then you release those stitches to work the lining. The pieces are joined with a modified three-needle bind off, so there’s no seaming involved.

The colorwork portion is only charted, but it’s very repetitive and easy to follow, so even if this is your first time reading a chart (or your first time doing stranded colorwork) this is a great project to try.

You can get a copy of the pattern on Ravelry.

Looking for more fun colorwork cowls? I recently shared the Hawi Honey Cowl, which is another great one for learning colorwork knitting. Or use up all the random bits leftover from other projects on the Ellensburg Cowl.

[Photo: Laura Chau]

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I’ve been writing about knitting online for a long time, and a lot of things have changed. But one good thing I think has changed over the years is that fewer people see knitting as a seasonal activity. Most people don’t seem to think anymore that there’s a time when it’s too hot to knit or too hot to wear knits.

I don’t know if the proliferation of knit tank top patterns caused that shift or is the result of it, but either way, summer knitters and knitwear-wearers are the beneficiaries, and every year there seem to be more great tank top knitting patterns to share.

How about the super cute Fleur Cami from Woolbirdx on Etsy? This sweet V-neck with thin straps features vertical panels of eyelets and ribbing. It’s worked from the bottom up in the round and is available in nine sizes. It calls for super fine yarn.

Or there’s the knitted lace V-neck top from Exotic Works Hub. This one has lace panels on the front at the center and is otherwise worked mostly in stockinette stitch. It’s worked from the bottom up in fingering weight yarn and comes in six sizes.

The Mixed Rib Cami from Florence Miller is another on that caught my eye. Worked in light fingering weight yarn, it is worked from the top down using twisted rib stitches and optional waist shaping. It’s finished with I-cord edges for a super clean look. The pattern has nine sizes available and you can find it on Ravelry.

Stine HoelgaardJohansen’s Golden Girl top is a cute sport weight top with a round neckline that’s deeper in the back, and worked from the bottom up in broken rib. There are nine size options (and six languages) and you can grab it for free on Ravelry.

Prefer a sporty look? Andrea Gaughan’s Sumac tank is worked in fingering weight yarn from the top down with contrasting edges. The pattern has 10 sizes and two fit profiles, graded to a traditionally masculine or feminine frame respectively. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

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