Inspired by the flash of halcyon blue that is all you often see of a Kingfisher. This cowl is named for one of my favourite birds; Alcedo Atthis. Atthis, in Greek mythology was a beautiful woman from the island of Lesbos.

This cowl is knit in 200g of DK, has a beautifully rich texture and a very attractive reverse side too. The colour combinations are many and exciting; they don’t have to include blue!

You need
2 x 100g skeins Native Yarns Orwell Alpaca/Merino/Silk DK in different colours
4.5 mm circular needle, or whatever you need to achieve the stated tension
Tapestry needle
Blocking wires or pins

Size

The yarn used is 230m/100g. If you wish to use Native Yarns Orford BFL yarn, which is 200m/100g, use the number of repetitions of the pattern given for this yarn or you’ll run out. The resulting difference in the sizes of the cowls is given in square brackets below and in the number of pattern repeats you need to knit..

The cowl will be approx. 155 cm circumference , 24 cm deep 22cm

Choices
You have a choice of colours to use and need to decide which colour to use for the foreground and the background colour. If you wish to make the cowl in a single colour that will also work, the texture is a great part of its appeal.

In the sample shown, the foreground colour (yarn a) is Erica (purple) and the background (yarn b) is Boudicea (blue) when viewed from the right side. Notice that the ‘wrong side’ of this cowl is also rather attractive and here it is yarn b that is more dominant.

Note: The pattern is written so that you knit it with the wrong side facing, as I generally find it swifter to knit rather than purl stitches.