The Dinkins Bayou cowl is named for one of my favorite places: a still, quiet, little inlet just off Florida’s Pine Island Sound — a place where egrets and manatees flourish among the mangroves and rushes, where the quiet of an early-morning kayak ride is often interrupted by the splash of mullet jumping, the call of a roseate spoonbill returning to its nest, or the whoosh of a dolphin surfacing to breathe.

The cowl explores the colors of the water and the shapes of the flora that thrives along its edges. Its variously-colored motifs remind me of the many colors I see in and near the water on a day spent along the bayou; when worn in the depths of winter, this cowl brings me right back to the light and warmth of the Gulf coast.

Dinkins Bayou features an integrated I-cord edging at the top and bottom to prevent its edges from rolling. If you haven’t worked integrated I-cord before, this is a great project on which to learn. The edges are long enough to get the hang of what you’re doing without being so long that it stops being fun.

The distinctive colorwork patterning in the cowl is created with a unique combination of inlay and dipped stitches. These techniques may be new to most knitters, but by following along with the written instructions and linked videos, you’ll find them easy to manage.

Each motif repeat uses just a small amount of yarn, which makes this a great stashbuster. Yardage is given for working the motifs all in one color, or a series of separate colors.

Level: Intermediate

Skills/Techniques Used: Knitting in the round, I-cord CO and BO, Dip stitches, Slipped-stitch colorwork, Locked Floats. Pattern includes video tutorials and step-by-step instructions for these techniques.

Yarn:
The Backcountry Knitter Simple DK (75% Superwash Merino Wool, 25% Nylon; 100 g (3.5 oz) / 245 yards (225 meters);
MC: Turf - 1 skein, 230 yds (210 m)
CC 1-5: Mountain Range Collection - 5 mini skeins; 8 yds (7 m) of each mini used.
Or a smooth DK-weight yarn of your choice, approximately 210 yards (192 m) of a solid or tonal color for MC and 40 total yds (35 m) of CC in your choice of 1-5 solid, tonal, or variegated colors.