It’s been ages since I gave all you lovely readers a new pattern. And given the state of the weather lately, I think it needs to be something really sumptuous, cosy, and yet stylish (Snow gear just isn’t doing it for me lately). So may I present the January Cowl.
It’s a bit different to the last cowl (Rainbow Cowl), where that was a light autumn spring cowl, this is a depths of winter, something lovely to snuggle up to cowl. Just what we all need! It is such a simple knit. I originally designed it as a last minute gift knit, so it knits up quickly and with very little complications. It uses just left-over balls of Double Knit Yarn, although the tension is not very important and you can substitute other yarn as you wish.
To Knit:
- Using 10mm needles, using yarn from two balls of Double Knit (DK) yarn simultaneously, cast on 25 stitches
- *K1, P1* Repeat til last stitch, K1
- Repeat step 2 until your cowl measures 55 inches in length
- Cast off, and join your cowl to form a loop. Optional: Sew in a twist in your cowl to make it appear neater and less tangled when wearing doubled up.
And it’s just that easy. Knitting with the two balls of wool simultaneously makes for such a rich texture and will definitely ensure no cold gusts of wind or snow flurries will make it through your winter knit. Just what you need.
knit1slip1.wordpress.com 
Lovely and perfect for this time of year! Thanks so much, I’ll be linking.
Thanks Rachel 🙂
This is really gorgeous! And I think I have just the yarn to have a go. 🙂
Great. It’s perfect for leftover yarn 🙂 Happy Knitting!
This is amazing! I am going to do one myself! But I was wondering, how do you knit two yearns simultaneously?? I am a fairly inexperienced knitter!
Thanks!
It’s really simple. All you do is take the ends your two balls of yarn and knit as if they were one. It sounds more complicated than it is. Give it a go and if you have any problems just give me a shout. It’s a great technique and gives a lovely thick knit as a result. I hope you like it 🙂
I was sitting on twitter trying to find something to cure my boredom – and BLAM – somebody I follow tweeted this post. Now, I am not quite as bored. Thanks for posting great material. – Frisbee
Sooooo, Im in love with this scarf, and Im really excited to make it as a gift for my friend. I am super inexperienced and it’s been a while. I used to understand the purl but now I don’t. Any tips or links? Thanks!
Hi Emma,
I’d like to try this scarf but I’m not sure which yarn to buy. What material and ply?
Thanks
The tension isn’t critical in this knit, so really any DK (double knit) yarn will do. Something that says on its packaging that it will give you an approximate tension of 28 rows x 22 stitches to give you a 4 inch square. But don’t stress about getting this just right. This cowl is perfect for adapting to how you want/like it yourself.
My best advice? Head to your local store and go fall in love with a DK yarn. Don’t worry about tension and that it doesn’t appear chunky enough, remember you’re knitting with two balls at the same time so the yarn is doubled.
Let me know how you get on, and if you have any more questions!
This pattern calls for 10 mm needles.
Am I reading this correctly? That’s
a size 15 needle.
Yup, that’s right size 15. BIG needles 🙂
Thank you for this cowl pattern…it has become my go to cowl..I’ve made several..the proportions are perfect.I particularly like it in dk wools or wool and alpaca blends.
Oh wow, I’m so happy to hear you love it so much 😀 It’s my snuggle into/get still stylish cowl. I’d love to see yours, I’m very curious about other colours and wools. Thank you for letting me know!
I’m kind of a newbie when it comes to knitting. So far i’ve only knit dishcloths and this is EXACTLY what i’m looking for to progress my knitting. 🙂
I have a lot of yarn and I don’t really want to go buy MORE yarn for this project. My question is: can I use 2 strands of yarn at worsted weight to make the DK? (i hope this makes sense). I’m wanting to double up the regular yarn that i have and want the pattern to still come out the same.
PLEASE email me and let me know 🙂
[breanna.kron@gmail]
Have a lovely day!
Does that mean I have to use 8 balls of yarn?
It depends on your chosen yarn. I used jumbo balls of yarn and barely made a dent in them. I would recommend knitting a swatch and from there you can figure out how much yarn you would need to knit a complete cowl. I wouldn’t think you would need 8 balls unless you are using small hanks of wool. I hope this helps!
Emma
How do you sew in a twist and does it matter where you do it?
Thanks!
When you are finished knitted and after you have cast off, just as you are sewing the ends of the scarf together twist one end, so the scarf rather than being a loop then become a kind of mobius strip. Easy. Good luck!
cool idea,I think I’ll make one for all my non knitter girlfriends. My mom passed away last year..she was an avid knitter,let me lots of wool.So these will be great gifts from the heart
love this pattern!! thanks for sharing! is it possible to stitch it with a large chunky thread instead of two DK thread? thanks!
Yes you can. The cowl is great for being able to experiment with the type of wool and size of needle you want to use. Best of luck!
I plan to use Lionbrand Woolease or Berroco Vintage DK, not sure how many skeins i need. Love the pattern January Cowl.
Thanks for your reply .
Betty
thanks emma i am enjoying knitting this just to check i am working in 10mm needles uk size i saw someone mentioned size 15?
Glad you’re enjoying it. You can use UK 10mm needles or US size 15 needle, depending where you are in the world. 🙂
This looks like a great project! I have sewn a couple other cowls in the round. I have never joined 2 ends together before…what is the technique? If I were to sew this in the round, how many stitched do you think I would cast on?
I’m very sorry I can’t advise. I have never sewn in the round.
Sorry a beginner question when it says k1 p1 does this mean a whole row for each or one stich K1 then one stich P1? This is my first attempt at knitting so im hoping im not punching above my station. x
Don’t worry. It means knit 1 stitch then purl one stitch. Once you get the hang of doing the k1 p1 repeated pattern you should be flying until you need to cast off at the end. I think you’ll do great. Best of luck!
Hi there, I was wondering what the gauge. I must be blind!
No problem, I talk about the tension in my response to the comment left by ‘Beginner’ above. Best of luck with it!
Thanks for the great quick gift plush mobius pattern.
Its a great present. I have writer’s cabin fever and your gift has upped the weekend for me and doggie. You’re so generous! Johanna
Very pretty, I am a beginner, so I am going to give this a go! How many balls of wool would recommend I use? Thanks … Chanel
Looks great! I love it so much I’ve just started on it myself although I’m using a thicker wool and not double knitting which seems to be working well. Knits up quickly also which is even better!
Yes, it looks lovely! I’m going to get started on mine once I’m finished with my current projects. Yes, 10mm needles are U.S. 15’s. Quick question: since you double knit this, I’m assuming you must have used a worsted-weight yarn as opposed to a bulky one. How would this look with a single knit of the bulky yarn? Just curious. Thanks for posting this simple, yet elegant pattern!
Christy in Maryland. 🙂
Thanks. Yes you can single knit this cowl, absolutely. It is just a good way of using up left over double knit wool while achieving a different look. But it looks just as good with a bulky yarn. Best of luck with it.
My daughters boyfriend has requested a cowl for christmas. I tried just doing a simple stockinette pattern on a pair of circular needles but I think it is too boring. do you happen to have a basic pattern i could do on circular needles?
You could definately try this pattern but I’m afriad I’m not sure what length of circular needles you would need as I have only knitted it on DPNS
Hello! I have a question on this. Should this be a rib pattern, or a seed stitch pattern?
I’m a VERY novice knitter and am not so great with the lingo, but I think ribs lead to rows of ribs, whereas seed stitch looks like the photos above…kind of alternating.
I’m having a hard time getting this down.
Yes, this is a seed pattern. You are alternating all the time between knitting and purling both across and up and down. Best of luck with it!
Thanks so much, Emma. I figured out that what I was having trouble with was the size 15 needles. I switched down to size 13s, I believe they are…and I’m much more successful. I still love this though, so thank you!
Is this knitted in the round?
Never mind, it just came to me, that it’s not knitted in the round, with only 25 stitches, lol
What a great pattern. Thanks! I am recovering from surgery and hadn’t knitted in twenty years..perfect re-entry.
I am using chunky shetland on 6mm needles and it looks wonderful. My daughter can’t wait til it’s finished.
This pattern looks lovely! I can’t wait to try it. 🙂 When I tried previous projects, the yarn would pill or the finished piece would look sort of cheap and tacky (even though I could not see any mistakes). I am not sure if you are familiar with what I am talking about, but I want this project to definitely look chic and professional. What type of yarn do you recommend? Also, is the tension that you mentioned above (4 inch square) the same thing as gauge?
Thank you so much!! 🙂 Merry Christmas Emma
someone just asked me to make this for them and gave me some yarn, the pattern is simple enough but I can not see anywhere a guage. How wide does the cowl end up being? She did not give me DK yarn so I will have to alter needle size and maybe use more than two strands to get the right width. \
Kathy
I’m glad you like the pattern. The gauge is above in my response to the message from ‘Beginner’ Best of luck.
Love this. I am nearing the end of this project and i am really pleased at how well it looks! Just wondering what technique you use to join the two ends of the scarf together?
That’s great! I just simply sewed them together using some of the left over yarn. You don’t notice the join very much and when you twist it you can disguise it to the inside loop and to the back. Happy wearing!
Thanks for the awesome pattern! I’m loving doing something different than just a stockinette stitch.
Sorry if this is a silly question, I’m still sort of a beginner. In reading the pattern and comments, I was thinking that if you need to alternate k/p both in each row and then for each row, wouldn’t your second row need to start with a purl stitch if the last stitch in row 1 is a knit stitch? I’m trying to see the scarf forming in my head and I’m getting a rib pattern if you start each row with a K/P and end with a K.
No don’t worry, I like to get things straight in my head first too. Because you have an uneven number of stitches, you are always alternating the stitch pattern to create a dotty kind of textured look rather than if you had an even number you would end up with a rub pattern. I hope this helps
I love this scarf and have made several. I’d like to make a matching hat similiar to your Boyfriend Hat, but have been unable to replicate the “dotty” stitch on circular needles. Ending the first row with K, should I be starting second with a P?
Wow, I’ve actually never thought of making a matching hat. I’ll definately have a think about it though. It sounds like if you start one row in the round with K, the next row should be started with a P.