North Platte cowl is now live!

It—along with all the other patterns with North in the name in my Ravelry shop, because why not?—is 20% off through July 9th.

North Platte Cowl is a simple tube-style neckwarmer, with nice details: knitted hems and decorative braids make a basic knit more technically challenging and add visual interest.

The shape is based on a very plain, practical neckwarmer. There’s no real shaping, so it’s just got a straight up-and-down drape, and the only thing that really makes this into something knit top-down and not bottom-up is the fact that I slightly prefer the first knit hem.

The sample is knit from a simple 2-ply yarn from Inglenook Fibers, so in my opinion the best yarn for this is the one you spin yourself!

Gauge:
Gauge is 21 sts and 30 rows over 4”/10cm of stockinette, worked in the round, after blocking—not too dense, not too loose. Please be sure to check your gauge. Gauge is moderately important—if you knit this more loosely, you’ll still get a cowl, but it may not work as well as a makeshift hat, etc.

Measurements:
Measurements are all taken flat. For circumference, roughly double the width.
Height is 15”/38cm.
Width is 10.75”/27cm.

For best success, familiar techniques include lateral braid, knitting in the round, and knit hems.

Joining lateral braid in the round gave me fits on my first attempt, bro. Here’s the best blog post I found during my research—or at least the one where it clicked for me. Via Studio Miranda, it gives a good demonstration of the best way (in my opinion) to join the rounds at the back.