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I designed this cowl for my sister, who likes to carry her baby in a sling, leaving the upper part of her jacket open. She wanted something to cover her neck and upper chest but not go too far down her back and shoulders (which could be uncomfortable because of the sling straps). It also had to be soft and without any fuzz, since my nephew’s face is snuggled against it (and he likes to munch on anything he can find :). And so the Kamma Cowl was born, snug and warm, made with squishy and smooth bamboo yarn, a gift to both mother and baby.

The cowl features cables on both sides of the work, so you can fold it down your neck or keep it up, and it will still look the same. It is knit in the round, starting from the top, and then flat for the part that covers the upper chest.

Written instructions in English, using US, UK and metric measurements and needle sizes. All my patterns are using Calibri font size 13 in black on white, so they are accessible and easy to read on different screens and when printed. All abbreviations and acronyms are explained in the pattern.

Skills required: knit, purl, cast on, cast off, lifted increase (can be substituted with M1R, M1L & M1P), cables of 4 and 6 stitches. The cables are explained in detail, so you can do it even if you don’t have a lot of experience with cables.

Size: a single-sized cowl that fits most teens and adult women and covers the neck and upper part of the chest. Includes advice for adapting it to other sizes.

Recommended yarn

Choose yarn that is somewhat elastic, so that you can slip the cowl over the head and still have it snug around the neck. Bamboo is great for this, superwash wool (especially Merino) can also work. Avoid yarn that is likely to shrink during washing, or knit a swatch and cast on more stitches or use larger needles to compensate; if you do not, the risk is that the cowl will be too tight to slip over the head after washing.

For the cowl in the photos, I used Go Handmade Soft Bamboo “Double”, a fine yarn that I held double to obtain something between Aran and chunky weight. I used 5mm needles (US 8 / UK 6), smaller than would normally suit this yarn weight, because this yarn softens and expands with washing and I wanted the cowl to stay densely knit and warm. I used 3 balls of yarn of 50 g (1.75 oz) each.

Gauge: 22 stitches and 27 rows per 10 cm (per 4 inches) in stockinette stitch. I highly recommend to knit a swatch and wash it to see how the yarn behaves, before starting the project.

Needles

• Knitting needles of 5mm needles (US 8 / UK 6) or size needed to obtain gauge. Circular needles of 40 cm (16 in) or double-pointed needles are recommended. If using DPNs, group the stitches in multiples of 4 on each needle, so you can work the cables.
• Cable needle one size smaller than the knitting needles.
• Tapestry needle to weave in the ends.
• Optional: Crochet hook of the same size as the knitting needles, to make the edges neater.

Enjoy making this warm and cozy cowl!

This pattern is for personal use only. If you wish to sell items based on this pattern, contact me for permission. You may not distribute or publish this pattern anywhere online or offline.

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