i wanted to design something for my Family of Women pattern series to pay tribute to my friend Jill, who has been in my life for so long that she is more like family to me. Jill and I met during the first week of our freshman year in college, when we were two homesick young women struggling with a major life transition. Now, more than forty years later, she remains my BFF. A highly creative woman, Jill sews incredibly gorgeous quilts and has a home filled with fascinating collections, including memorabilia related to England’s royal family. This design incorporates knit/purl stitch patterns which evoke two of her favorite things - the Swedish block edging design reminds me of her lovely pieced and blocked quilts, and the King Charles Brocade pattern in the center portion of the cowl represents her love of royalty!

This cowl is knit in the round and can be made with any weight yarn to whatever width or circumference you desire. The cowl in the photo has a circumference of 22” and a width of 7 1/2”. The buttons are decorative, so no need to make button holes. I highly recommend the Valley Yarns Wachusett, which is a luxuriously soft and warn blend of Merino and Cashmere goat.

If you have any questions about this design, please message me directly here on Ravelry.