This project is one of those simple, warmly-textured ideas that ends up coming to life in a pretty wildly compelling way once you finish it, add buttons, and realize how much shaping that simple detail is going to allow—I’m excited about this one and I hope you like it too!

One charm of this cowl/minicape/scarf—you can realistically make it as long as you like—is the reverse side, which features textural slipped stitches that look great in a variegated or space-dyed yarn. This stitch is modded here to work as a mesh, and the slipped stitches look amazing when they happen to highlight a little pop of color.

The other part—the best part—is that with the easy placement of a couple of smooth, lightweight buttons (coconut shown in the sample), this relatively quick knit becomes really interesting to wear. With one button, it can fasten as a capelet-style cowl. With two, the cowl option expands a little—but you can also make it into a shrug by fastening the buttons to form sleeves.

The cowl as shown is made in just under one skein of Malabrigo Yarn Sock, and I’d recommend a similar tonal or variegated yarn to get the best out of the stitch pattern. Use two skeins with this same pattern to knit a big scarf or wrap with a wonderful texture.

Materials:

• 330-800 yards Malabrigo Yarn Sock; sample shown in Primavera colorway
• 1 24” circular needle—or straight needles—in US5-6/3.75-4.0mm, or size needed for gauge. (Work is flat.)
• Tapestry needle
• 1-2 buttons sized to match eyelets, or about ¾-⅞“

Gauge:
Gauge is 18 sts and 28 rows over 4”/10cm of texture pattern stitch, worked flat and blocked lightly. Please be sure to check your gauge.

Measurements:
The cowl version as shown measures about 34(40)“/86(102)cm long by 14.5”/37cm wide. The scarf version can be knit to a custom length.