Spending a lot of time outdoors lends itself to an appreciation of the Seasons and I’m always using wool and handmade items to stay warm while I’m outside.

I decided to create some patterns as a Celebration of Seasons where I share some of the items I like to use while I’m hiking/outdoors - all are inspired by the area around me.

The Shellbark cowl is a lightweight cousin of the Shagbark Cowl and the Shagbark socks - I enjoyed those cables so much I decided I wasn’t quite finished with them and switched things around a little bit so this cowl is different, but similar in some ways to the others.

I like to stay warm while I’m out hiking in the Winter but I don’t like a lot of bulk, especially around my neck. This has become my go-to cowl for everyday use. Lightweight and warm, it’s perfect for running errands or hiking with hardly any bulk.

Gauge isn’t necessarily essential here and it’s a perfect for that lone skein of sock yarn that you’re not quite sure what to do with plus, you’ll probably have some leftovers.

If you wanted a thicker cowl, you could definitely adjust the yarn and needle size though your yardage will vary.