A dash of yellow flies past me as I walk under the cover of tall trees towards the lush grasslands. The swift bird calls exuberantly and seems to draw loops and curves in the sky. As I hike further towards the stream and lake, more birds fly past me, alert, curious, bold and talkative. Their acrobatic skills while hunting mid-air are quite impressive.

The Kiskadee cowl sports two lace patterns complementing each other. The lace forms stylish diamonds and V-shapes reminiscent of birds in flight. For added fun, the cowl is bordered by asymmetric peaks along both edgings creating an elegant lace cowl that will add a good dose of flair to your outfits. So: Get ready to take flight!

For best effect, use a reasonably round yarn with good stitch definition. Yarn weights ranging from fingering to DK would be suitable. As for colorways, I would recommend solid, semi-solid, speckled, or gradient (single skein or gradient set) yarns. A tonal (slightly) variegated yarn with low contrast could work too.

Yarn
Wol met Verve Basic Sock (Fingering; 75% Wool, 25% Nylon; 420 meters / 459 yards per 100 grams); 1 skein; sample uses 73 grams in color 432 02161 (rosewood).

Needles
3.25 mm (US size 3) 80 cm / 32 inches circular needle or size to obtain gauge.

Gauge
23 stitches and 30 rows = 10 cm / 4 inches in Stockinette stitch, unblocked.
15 stitches and 20 rows = 10 cm / 4 inches in stitch pattern B – Hopping Around, blocked.
15 stitches and 26 rows = 10 cm / 4 inches in stitch pattern C – In-Flight Acrobatics, blocked.
Note: obtaining the gauge given is not crucial but will affect the finished size and the yardage needed.

Notions
Removable stitch markers: 1 in color A (beginning-of-round marker), 7 in color B (optional). Tapestry needle. Blocking pins. Blocking wires (optional).

Size
One; easily customizable.

Final measurements
Circumference (c): 115 cm / 45 inches, height (h): 38.5 cm / 15 inches.

Skill level
Basic stitches, increases, single and double decreases, purled decrease. Relatively easy to memorize stitch pattern. Patterning on odd rounds only. Elastic BO. Video tutorials are provided for the stitches and techniques used.

Pattern notes
This pattern is worked in the round. The stitch count remains constant throughout the main stitch patterns. Suggestions are given to customize the pattern.
Charts and written instructions are provided as well as clear video tutorials for the used stitches and techniques.

Pattern support
For questions about this pattern, please PM me on Ravelry or send me an email. Contact details are provided.

Thank you note
I’d like to send a big thank you to my truly awesome test knitters on Ravelry: Canberra, giusy62, moniru, saralevene, sewbiz53

Thanks a lot for your time and dedication, for helping me make this pattern even better and for showing how the pattern would look like with different yarns!

Want to get a free cowl? Read on!

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