Jardin Cowl

Jardin Cowl

Okay, I've committed a cardinal knitting sin with this cowl. Namely, I've called for two skeins even though I BARELY needed any of the second one to complete it. However, I just couldn't bear to finish this brightly colored beauty early, so I sucked it up and went for the second hank. On the plus side, that means that those of you using a different yarn for the Jardin Cowl will only need about 200 yards (and could probably squeak by at 175 as well). And if you want to use the same yarn, well, you'll face the same choice I did; quit early with one skein or find another use for what's left over (which, let's face it, you'll almost certainly be seeing sooner or later on this site anyway).

Yarn: Cascade 220 Sport (100% Peruvian Highland Wool; 164 yards [150 meters]/50 grams); #8910 Citron - two skeins

A better look at the cables.
Pretty little things, aren't they?

Needles: One 16" circular needle in size US 6

Notions: Tapestry needle, three stitch markers

Gauge: 22 stitches = 4 inches

So let's get started! Using your circular needle, cast on 148 stitches loosely. Then we'll knit one marker placement row, as follows:

Marker Placement Row: k62, place marker, (p2, k9) twice, p2, place marker, knit until end of round

And once that little beast is done, we'll move straight to our pattern, which incorporates a strip of Round Link Cables from page 132 of Barbara G. Walker's Charted Knitting Designs: A Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns, as well as some decreases for shaping. So first we'll define our terminology, as follows:

round link cable (rlc): slip 6 stitches to cn and hold in front, k3, then slip the middle 3 stitches (of the 9 total) from cn back to left-hand needle; move cn with final 3 stitches to the back of the work; k3 from left-hand needle, then k3 from cn

And then we'll work like so:

Rows 1, 5, 7, & 11: knit until you're 2 stitches before first marker, k2tog, slip marker, (p2, k9) twice, p2, slip marker, ssk, knit until end of round (-2 stitches)

Row 2 and all even rows: knit until you reach first marker, slip marker, (p2, k9) twice, p2, slip marker, knit until end of round

Row 3: knit until you're 2 stitches before first marker, k2tog, slip marker, p2, rlc, p2, k9, p2, slip marker, ssk, knit until end of round (-2 stitches)

Row 9: knit until you're 2 stitches before first marker, k2tog, slip marker, p2, k9, p2, rlc, p2, slip marker, ssk, knit until end of round (-2 stitches)

Knit rows 1 - 12 twice. Then, we'll continue in the same pattern but without any decreases, as follows: 

Rows 1 - 2, 4 - 8, & 10 - 12: knit until you reach first marker, slip marker, (p2, k9) twice, p2, slip marker, knit until end of round

Row 3: knit until you reach first marker, slip marker, p2, rlc, p2, k9, p2, slip marker, knit until end of round

Row 9: knit until you reach first marker, slip marker, p2, k9, p2, rlc, p2, slip marker, knit until end of round

Knit rows 1 - 12 twice, and then knit rows 1 - 11 once more. Then it's time to bind off loosely, tuck in ends, and block!