Kids' Star Cowl

Kids' Star Cowl

The last time I went to the knitting store, my four-year-old got on my case about wanting a new scarf (it's been like two months since I knit him anything, so he's getting antsy). And after an agonizingly long twenty minutes during which he attempted to pick out every novelty yarn in the store (including some sort of weird, Packers-colored ribbon stuff), he finally settled on this green cotton. So it's a bit dark to show off the pattern well, but it's better than the alternatives (I promise!). Of course, the next fight involved getting him to agree to a relatively simple pattern ("no, dear, I can't knit a zebra"), and after about four trial runs on the design itself, this star was born. As you can probably tell from the picture, many of the increases and decreases are embedded in the purl fabric, which disrupts it slightly. Stay tuned for a more adult version of this same star riff, as I'm working out a more elegant way to incorporate those same increases and decreases.

Sizes: Ages 2 - 6 (Ages 6 - 12)

Yarn: Lily Sugar 'n Cream (100% Cotton; 120 yards [109 meters]/70.9 grams); #16 Dark Pine – one skein (two skeins)

The star.
Once again, I apologize for the picture quality.
Children were involved.

Needles: 16" circular needle in size 8 (20" circular needle in size 8)

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 18 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette 

Cast on 90 (105) stitches loosely, place marker, and join in round. Knit three rows in a k1, p1 ribbing and then we'll move on to the main pattern, for which you'll need the following notation:

rt (right twist): knit two together, leaving stitches on left-hand needle; next, insert right-hand needle from the front between the two stitches just knitted together, and knit the first stitch again. Finally, slip both stitches from left-hand needle together

lt (left twist): with right-hand needle behind left-hand needle, skip one stitch and knit the second stitch in back loop; then insert right-hand needle into the backs of both stitches and k2tog-b (knit two together through back loops, inserting right needle from the right)

And now that we're edified, let's get knitting!

Row 1: purl

Row 2: * p3, k1, p7, k1, p3; rep from *

Row 3: * p3, (k1, yo, k1) in next stitch, p3tog, p1, p3tog, (k1, yo, k1) in next stitch, p3 *

Row 4: * p3, k3, p3, k3, p3 *

Row 5: * p1, pfb, p1, k2, ssk, p1, k2tog, k2, p1, pfb, p1 *

Row 6: * p4, k3, p1, k3, p4 *

Row 7: * p3, rt, k1, (slip 1 stitch, [k2tog and leave the two stitches on needle, yo, and then knit the same two together and slide all stitches from needle], and then pass the slipped stitch over your three new stitches), k1, lt, p3 *

Row 8: * p3, k9, p3 *

Row 9: * p2tog, rt, k3, (k1, yo, k1) in next stitch, k3, lt, p2tog *

Row 10: * p1, k13, p1 *

Rows 11 and 12: * p5, k5, p5 *

Row 13: * p1, pfb, p3, ssk, k1, k2tog, p3, pfb, p1 *

Row 14: * p6, k3, p6 *

Row 15: * p1, pfb, p4, sl1-k2tog-psso, p4, pfb, p1

Row 16: purl

Repeat rows 1 - 16 twice (three times), and then knit three more rows in a k1, p1 ribbing. Bind off loosely in your ribbing pattern, as this will keep your bound-off edge from sagging outwards. Tuck in ends.