Cowlmazoo! Fun to say and fun to knit. It’s knit from the top down in one piece with increases down the front to create the illusion of a shawl. You get the look of a shawl with the stay-on ability of a cowl. I’m not sure that is a proper sentence but you know what I’m talking about.

A funny story about the name…

I finished designing this piece while on vacation with my family in my hometown of Kalamazoo. We were sitting around bouncing around name ideas (I swear naming is the hardest part after photography) when Cowlmazoo was shouted out, I knew it was the perfect name. We couldn’t decide how to spell it so I asked everyone to text me how they would spell it. My Dad… who has selective hearing… texted me “Kalamazoo”. I dismissed it as autocorrect, but when the texting and chatter continued he texted it again and then proceeded to sing the spelling, saying it was easier to remember how to spell things with a song. My dad thought that I didn’t know how to spell the name of the city I grew up in and that all five of his grandkids (4 of them adults) were struggling as well! WHAT?? He’ll never live that down!!

Materials
2-color version:
50g (200 yds) each of 2 contrasting colors in fingering weight yarn. Sample used
Emma’s Yarn Beautifully Basic Halves in Boo’d Up and After Dark (burnt orange and black)
Floor is Lava and Canopy (Red and Green both with speckles)
Or
1-color version (shown on pg 2):
100g (400 yds) of fingering weight yarn
Sample used:
Emma’s Yarn Super Silky in “It’s Casual” (pale blue with orange and gray specks)

US size 5, 16 inch circular needle, or needle required for gauge.

Kits are available at Four Purls Yarn Shop

Gauge
5.5 st and 6.5 rows = 1 inch, in pattern. Gauge isn’t terribly important but you will want it to fit over your head (see notes).

Finished Measurements
17 in. x 17 in. at the longest and widest point
Back neck measures 10 in. long
You can make it smaller or larger by ending or continuing the repeats!