A squishy, reversible brioche cowl that hugs the neck in the perfect way to fit inside a coat collar without bulk, the Kanata cowl can be worn scrunched down or folded but is also long enough to pull up over the nose on a cold winter’s day.

Kanata is a suburb of Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. Located on the western edge of the city, it is home to Ottawa’s hockey arena, large outlet stores, strip malls, and subdivisions. It’s also home to Maker Savvy, a rainbow-hued gem of a fabric and yarn shop, where I first used this cowl pattern to teach an intro to brioche knitting class. It uses a base of two-colour brioche rib stitch, with a simple increase & decrease sequence.

Difficulty Level:
Brioche Beginner. The pattern includes a comprehensive glossary that explains each special stitch and how to perform it. It doesn’t assume that the knitter already knows about brioche, and it does provide expanded details and tips.

See my video on how to drop a stitch to fix mistakes in brioche rib here: https://youtu.be/AzrTu2t6CzI?si=LC6LnhUo9snGbu7n

Finished cowl measurements:

Height: 9.25” / 23.5 cm tall
Circumference: 18.75” / 47.5 cm unstretched, 33.5” / 85 cm stretched fully

The cowl is meant to fit closely about the neck and face for warmth without bulk, but brioche rib is so stretchy that it should easily pass over any size of head and then fit nicely without feeling too tight around the neck.

Yarn:
2 colours of worsted-weight (size 4), about 50 grams / 100 yards of each.
Shown in Malabrigo Rios, colours 093 Fuscia and 413 Ankara Green.
Note: My sample used just under 50% of each 100g skein, so I had plenty left for a second cowl or a matching hat.

Needles:
Size - 8 US / 5 mm / 6 UK
Type - 16” / 40 cm circular needle, measured from needle tip to needle tip.
(If you’re using an interchangeable set, the length of the cord will be less than 16” on its own, more like 8-10”. Be aware: some brands label their cords by their actual length, and some label them by the total length they’ll create when joined to the needle tips. “Shorty” needle tips (+/- 3” are best for this small circumference; 4-5” tips will make the circle more like an awkward triangle.)