This cowl is an easy way to learn the rudiments of “mosaic knitting” and you can have fun and use 1 main color (MC) and 3 contrast colors (CC) as I show here. OR….just do it all in 2 colors. OR….use a solid as your main color and choose a similar gauge yarn that has a long repeat (I’ve used Lousia Harding Amitola) as your contrast color. OR…pick just your one favorite stitch (the pattern includes 3) and do the entire cowl in just one of the stitches if you prefer! Lots of possibilities. This pattern is free when customers purchase my NFAC Kettle Dye Merino at the store - www.northeastfiberarts.com. These skeins now come in 100 gm with 220 yards each (not the original 110 yards I launched the yarn in), so 2 skeins will do the entire cowl. If you want to play with colors as I’ve done here, then 4 skeins will give you the yardage to make 2 cowls - you’ll have to switch up your main colors, of course, but yardage-wise, it will work.
And of course, if you prefer a shorter cowl (I like to wrap mine twice around my neck), I’d recommend getting 3 colors and then you could make 2 shorter cowls but be able to play with colors!