My husband asked me to knit him a cowl. He wanted a plain and practical cowl to wear during his long work days throughout the cold winter, so I designed the Almost Basic Cowl. The cowl is knit in the round, from the bottom up, with one color of worsted weight yarn and a combination of knit and purl stitches. It has a looser fit along the collarbone and a comfortable but closer fit along the jawline for warmth. The cowl’s functional shape is created with ribbing along the sides, decreasing stitches near the top of the cowl, and switching to smaller needles before the top ribbing.

Finished Size and Measurements
Size: One Size
Height: 12 inches (30 cm)
Circumference at the bottom: 21 inches (53 cm)
Circumference at the top: 17 inches (43 cm)

Gauge
17 sts x 25 rnds = 4 inches, stockinette stitch knit in the round and blocked

Needles
US 8/ 5 mm and US 9/ 5.5 mm 16 inch circular needles or size needed to get gauge

Yarn
85 grams of a worsted weight yarn.
- 83 grams of Berroco Ultra Wool was used for the sample cowl.

Notions
Stitch marker for beginning of round.
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends.
Scissors.
Blocking mat.

Abbreviations and Stitch Glossary
k - knit
p - purl
k2tog - knit two together
st(s) - stitch(es)
rnd(s) - round(s) or rows around the needle

Erica Saint is a busy wife, homeschooling mom, and grandmother. She enjoys many crafts, but her favorite pastime is knitting. Erica and her daughter-in-law, Daphne, are the makers of Rose Opal Knits. You can also find them on Instagram @roseopalknits and their Rose Opal Knits YouTube channel.