When I was younger, Alice in Wonderland was one of my favorite stories. I obsessively read the novel and begged my mother to decorate my room in an Alice motif (she did, which resulted in endless nightmares about falling down rabbit holes and becoming sick from magical cookies).

The resurgence in Alice in Wonderland remakes has made me a very happy person. When given the chance to knit a cowl for the mystical Caterpillar himself, I jumped at it. The two stitch patterns fold into each other, one featuring whole, complete diamonds, and the other appearing to be leaves with little caterpillar bites taken out of them.

Sizes and Materials

Fingering weight

Gauge

27 sts and 20 rows per 4”/10cm in stockinette stitch using US 3 (3.25 mm). Approximately 320 yards/293 meters required.

Knit in the round

Small: 9.25”/23.5cm tall, 16”/41cm circumference
Large: 11”/28cm tall, 20”/71cm circumference

Knit flat

Small: 9.75”/25cm tall, 17”/43cm circumference
Large: 11.5”/29cm tall, 20”/71cm circumference

Sport weight

Gauge

24 sts and 17 rows per 4 in/10 cm in stockinette stitch using US 6 (4.0mm) needle. Approximately 280 yards/256 meters sport weight yarn required (note: this assumes approximately 360 yards/329 meters per 100 grams - adjust accordingly if your yarn is heavier or lighter).

Knit in the round

Small: 9.75”/25cm tall, 16.25”/41cm circumference
Large: 11.5”/29cm tall, 20”/71cm circumference

Knit flat

Small: 9.25”/23.5 tall, 16.75”/42.5cm circumference
Large: 11”/28cm tall, 20.75”/53cm circumference

About The Great Cowl KAL 2012

I had this crazy idea. It was my first winter in Chicago and I decided to knit myself as many cowls as humanly possible. I challenged myself to knit and design as many as possible so that I could share the fun and do a KAL with my group. Each pattern is designed to build upon a foundation of skills, increasing in complexity (but not difficulty) the further you get into the challenge.

I challenged knitters to complete 5 patterns in 50 days. Everyone had to submit a photo as proof of their completed project, and each knitter who submitted received the next pattern in the series for free. Flurries Cowl received over 500 submissions, and the final cowl received about 100. Approximately 100 knitters completed all 5 patterns in 50 days.

Each pattern in The Great Cowl KAL 2012 is available individually ($6), or in a collection of all 5 patterns ($24). This collection includes:

• A Very Good Cowl Indeed
• Blueberry Scowl
• Like Honey Cowl
• Perpetually Persistent Cowl
• Weeble Wobble Cowl

The collection does not include Flurries Cowl, the original kick-off pattern, which is available for free.