The Ilse Sock Set Cowl is a simple garter stitch knit cowl that will keep you engaged and interested but simple enough to knit while binging your favorite shows or take while traveling. There are no crazy stitches to learn and garter stitch fabric drapes well with our without blocking if you prefer not to block your items.

The mini skein color fades gradually into the cowl from the bottom edge using the fibonacci sequence. It is a mathematical sequence that I first learned about as a Meteorologist in my past life. The cowl’s design will feature fibonacci based stripes that start at the lower edge and line up again during seaming.

If you are looking for a nice summer knit, this cowl is is light-weight and can be worn year round so it will make an excellent accessory for yourself or someone else knit-worthy no matter what the season.

Choose your favorite main color (100g) and a 20g mini. If you can’t decide or are overwhelmed or intimidated by color theory, there are many independent dyers offering amazing color combinations of heel and toe sock sets on Etsy.

You can choose to wear your cowl right side out for more defined stripes or inside-out will give you a faded effect and looks amazing with more subdued color selections.

The finished cowl can also be worn multiple ways. Wear it with the long triangular portion at the front to replicate the style of a triangular scarf but without the pesky tails slipping and requiring constant readjustment. If you wear it off the shoulder you’ll have a unique and stunning garment that will turn heads.

Yarn:
Apothefairy Fabrication, Middle of the Road Sock
(100% Merino 436yds/100g).
Heel and Toe Matching Mini (85 yds/20g)
Color: Deck the Halls

Needles:
US 7 (4.5mm) circular needles, or size to obtain gauge

Notions
:
Yarn Needle

Stitch Marker

Gauge:
22sts x 42 rows = 4” garter stitch unblocked

Finished Measurements:
Circumference: 28” (72cm)
Depth at Neck: 7” (18cm)
Total length: 21.5” (55cm)

Pattern Notes:
This cowl is knit on the bias bottom up using garter stitches. Intentional increases and decreases form the edge you will seam later.

What the heck is Fibonacci??:
0/1/1/2/3/5/8/13/21/34..… It is nature’s numbering system. Cells, flower petals, honeycombs, snails shells; they all feature Fibonacci numbers. This sequence was discovered by the same mathematician who helped us convert from the old Roman numeral system, Leonardo Fibonacci. This sequence of numbers is a starts with 0 and the next number is found by adding the two numbers before it.

The golden ratio is based on Fibonacci numbers and Michelangelo and other artist used this ratio to paint some of their most famous works including the Sistine Chapel. God used the Fibonacci sequence (although he probably didn’t call it that) to create nautilus shells, the dimensions of the human body, and plant growth spirals. Basically all natural phenomena can be compared to the Fibonacci sequence.

That’s why we’re going to use this set of numbers to create the ultimate faded cowl. We will start with our contrasting color and our main color will grow out of it in stripes matching the Fibonacci sequence. Then at the double decrease we will start the sequence all over again so that the seamed area will line up perfectly.

Why Ilse?
As always, I name my shawls and cowls after Stephen King characters. I started doing this from the start and I’ll keep it up until I run out of names. That could take a while. Ilse is a character from “Duma Key” a book set on a Florida Island with a property that horrifies the nearby residents and the owners. Since this light cowl is a summer release I thought Ilse was the perfect name for this calculating cowl. No that’s not a typo. The name really is Ilse - not Isle.

This design has been tech edited and tested for clarity