Butterfly Stitch Cowl

Butterfly Stitch Cowl

Okay, I'll own it: a linen blend yarn isn't particularly winter-y, and I should probably stick to super cold-weather yarns now that the temperature has dropped. Luckily for me, though, this pattern makes such a robust and supple fabric that the yarn's fiber mix hardly seems to matter. And it's not just the Butterfly Stitch Cowl's yarn that's versatile, either, it's also the sizing. In fact, I've provided a version for everyone 2 and older. Hello mommy-daughter matching time!

Sizes: Toddler (Child; Adult)

Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Linen Concerto (48% Rayon, 42% Linen, 10% Cotton; 101 yards [92 meters]/50 grams); #01 Cream - 2 skeins (2 - 3 skeins, depending on length; 3 skeins)

A better look at the pattern

Needles: 16" circular needle in size US 5

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 22 stitches = 4 inches

So let's get started! First, cast on 100 (110; 120) stitches, place marker, and join in round. Then we'll knit five set-up rows, as follows:

Set-up Rows 1 - 4: purl

Set-up Row 5: knit

And now let's move on to the main pattern, which is Butterfly Stitch from page 101 of Barbara G. Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, except adapted for the round. Before we get to that, however, let's define our butterfly stitch as follows:

bs (butterfly stitch) (yes this abbreviation makes me happy): slip 1 stitch purlwise (this stitch should be the middle stitch above your five slipped bars), then insert right-hand needle down behind 5 bars and pull them up, then insert left-hand needle up behind the 5 bars (which will orient them knitwise). Finally, slip middle stitch back to left-hand needle and knit all 5 bars and middle stitch together

Sailor's Rib Cowl

Sailor's Rib Cowl

I bought this yarn nearly a year ago, I believe, with the intention of making a nice scarf for my husband with it. But since he was never very enthusiastic about said scarf, it never got made. And then he renewed his determination to bike commute this winter and it dawned on both of us: he didn't need a scarf, he needed a cowl. A nice, snug, long cowl that he can pull up over his face when the temperatures dip into the teens and the winds are blowing. And, to be quite honest, I'm kind of amazed that the idea never occurred to me before. After all, while I doubt he'll start wearing this cowl as a new man fashion statement (not because it isn't pretty, but because I haven't seen many men in cowls), it tucks into a jacket with much less bulk than a scarf, and looks just as nice.

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Cascade 220 (100% Peruvian Highland Wool; 220 yards [200 meters]/100 grams); #9458 Bainbridge Island Heather - 1 skein

A closer look at the pattern

Needles: 16" circular needle in size US 7

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches

So let's make this bad boy! First, cast on 100 stitches, place marker, and join in round. And then we'll move straight to the main pattern, which is Fisherman's Rib from page 4 of Barbara G. Walker's A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, except adapted for the round. Anyway, it goes as follows:

Horseshoe Cable Muffler

Horseshoe Cable Muffler

Where do I start with this one? How about at the very beginning, back when my sister and I were wee little girls and loved to play nothing more than "Old Days," where we dressed up in Little House on the Prairie-worthy thrift store clothes and pretended to be princesses-turned-scullery-maids, or occasionally scullery-maids-turned-princesses. And how is this relevant? Well, because the Horseshoe Cable Muffler is exactly the type of piece that we would have relished back then, with its rustic color and snuggly, old-timey aesthetic. Of course, this cowl/scarf isn't just relegated to the past, as you can dress it up three different ways for a very modern look. As a note, however, if you're planning to use it mainly as a scarf, you will need extra yardage of your yarn and you'll want to continue the piece longer than I made it for the best effect.

The end of the muffler.

Yarn: Skacel Alpaca Seta (75% Baby Alpaca, 18% Silk, 7% Nylon; 137 yards [125 meters]/50 grams); #11 Lemon Grass Twist - 2 skeins

Needles: One set of straight needles in size US 6, two double pointed needles (dpns), also in size US 6, and a size US 8 or larger needle for your provisional cast on

Notions: Tapestry needle, cable needle (cn), stitch holder

Gauge: 22 stitches = 4 inches

So let's get started!

Using a provisional cast on and your larger needles, cast on 38 stitches. Then switch to your size 6 needles and we'll move straight to our pattern. You'll need the following terminology to continue:

cable front (cf): transfer next 2 stitches to cn and hold in front, k2, k2 from cn

Notched Front Cowl

Notched Front Cowl

At this point, I imagine that everyone who looks at my patterns regularly has already figured out that I like to come up with new shapes for cowls. And I do, mostly because scarves have become impractical now that my children can use them to try to strangle me (unintentionally, of course). So the Notched Front Cowl is yet another entry into my new-shapes-for-cowls canon, and one that can be styled a couple of different ways (see below for pics). It's also a good design for those who have just begun to knit in the round, or who want more practice with basic increases and decreases.

Yarn: Cascade Yarns Sierra (80% Pima Cotton, 20% Merino Wool; 191 yards [175 meters]/100 grams); #01 (White) - one skein


The back.
I would have done a close up, but I'm pretty sure you've seen
seed stitch before.

Needles: One 16" circular needle in size 7

Notions: Tapestry needle, three stitch markers

Gauge: 20 stitches = 4 inches

Cast on 101 stitches, place marker, and join in round. Then we'll go straight into a seed stitch for the first part of the pattern. Or in knitting terms, we'll proceed like so:

Row 1: k1, * p1, k1; rep from *

Row 2: p1, * k1, p1 *

Knit rows 1 & 2 until piece measures roughly 3". It doesn't matter which row you end on. And now, we'll knit one transition row to place our extra markers, like so:

Zigzag Ribbon Stitch Cowl

Zigzag Ribbon Stitch Cowl

There's only one way to intro this piece, and that's with an extensive discussion of the yarn. I knew I had been eyeing this particular fiber for awhile, but I didn't realize how long it had been until I finally bought it and brought it home. I say that, of course, because as much as I look for this yarn online, I can't find it. By the label alone, in fact, it appears to be the exact same yarn that I used for the Pretty Plum Cowl. But it isn't - it's lighter weight, and a different color. At the end of the day, then, all I can really tell you about this yarn is that it's a cotton bamboo blend that's more of a sport weight (even if the label calls it a dk).

And now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the pattern! Since I knit a lighter-weight yarn on slightly larger needles, the piece gets that nice stretched-stitch look. The subtle stitch pattern is also very suitable for both solids and variegated yarns, and adds nice texture to the piece. Furthermore, although this piece is knit back-and-forth, it's seamless, and is joined by a provisional cast-on and a Kitchener stitch graft. This gives the mesh neck even more delicacy, and really suits the airiness of this cowl!

Yarn: Schachenmayr smc Cotton Bamboo Batik (50% Cotton, 50% Bamboo; 131 yards [120 meters]/50 grams); #95 - one to two skeins (I got by with one)

Close-up, for your viewing pleasure

Needles: Size 6 straight needles

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 24 stitches = 4 inches on size 4 needles

So let's get started! We're going to begin this piece with a provisional cast-on, instructions for which you can find here. So, using this technique, cast on 20 stitches. Then, knit the following set-up rows:

Set-up Row 1 (right side): knit

Set-up Row 2: purl

And once that's done, we're going to work the following row until the piece measures about 8" long and you've just finished a wrong-side row. So here's how you'll proceed:

Neck Row: k1, * yo, ssk; rep from *, end k1