Inspired by the brilliant gold leaves of the honey locust trees lining the streets of downtown Philadelphia, this single-loop cowl features a graduated leaf motif anchored by contrasting decorative borders. This cowl is recommended for experienced stranded knitters who are comfortable reading from charts and knitting in the round. Beginning with a provisional cast-on, the cowl is knit in the round to form a tube, and then the ends are grafted together. The cowl pictured above was created with Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in colorways Penumbra, Silver Fox, and Candlewick.

Skills required to complete this project
• Provisional cast-on
• Knitting in the round
• Stranded colorwork
• Reading from charts
• Kitchener stitch in the round

Materials
• Approximately 420 yards of main color (background) in fingering/sock weight yarn
• Approximately 50 yards of contrast color 1 (decorative borders) in fingering/sock weight yarn
• Approximately 200 yards of contrast color 2 (leaf motif) in fingering/sock weight yarn
• One 16” circular needle, US size 2.5
• Additional circular needle, US size 2.5, 16” or longer, for grafting
• Waste yarn for provisional cast-on, optional crochet hook
• Darning needle for grafting and weaving in ends
• 3 removable stitch markers
• Blocking wires and pins

Specifications
Gauge = 30 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in the stranded pattern. Gauge is not critical, but will affect the size of the finished item as well as yarn requirements.

Finished measurements (blocked) = approximately 30” in circumference, and 8” wide. Length is easily customized by reducing and/or lengthening segments of the pattern.

This pattern has been tech edited by Katharine A. Seaman.