A simple garter stitch cowl design, with striking stripes the easy way: knit sideways in one piece using just one skein of self-striping yarn!

Edges are finished with an easy faux I-cord around the neck border, and slipped stitches that turn corners neatly around the bottom border.

Short rows shape the cowl to fan gracefully over your shoulders – so it’s easy to wear, and stays put without shifting, bunching or pinning.

The cowl is provisionally cast on, then the live stitches of the two short ends at the back of the neck are seamed with either a three-needle bind off or a Kitchener garter graft, whichever you prefer.

If you work the Kitchener graft, the cowl is fully reversible; if you choose the three-needle bind off, then from the right side the seam is nearly as invisible, blending in with the garter ridges.

I designed this cowl to be knit with one skein of self-striping DK weight yarn because I’m not fond of weaving in ends. I love the precise striping of String Theory Colorworks’ “Mass” yarn, which emphasized the symmetry of the design. The Phaseolus colorway in my first sample was dyed with 10 rows byzantium (purple-magenta), 3 rows dark green and 3 rows pale gold.

You could also knit your Shiprock with multiple colors of different yarns, choosing when and where the stripes occur. Using just over 200 yards / 90 g of DK or light worsted weight yarn, this project makes great use of leftover yarns, too!

Gauge notes

In this pattern both stitch gauge and row gauge matter to your finished project. Both define how much body your garter fabric has, but the stitch gauge also determines the vertical height of the cowl, and the row gauge determines the circumference of the cowl.

I knitted my project using a larger needle (US 8) for a larger gauge than usual for a DK weight yarn (approximately 4-1/2 stitches per inch horizontally, and 8 rows per inch vertically). I wanted a relaxed garter fabric, so that the neck edge “puddles” a bit. If you choose to knit a tighter gauge, you can make the cowl neck stand up more stiffly.

It’s not as important that you exactly match my pattern gauge, as that you get a fabric that you like and the size you want. So I include schematics & measurements for each section, and suggestions for making each larger or smaller, to help you get exactly the cowl you want.

Techniques used:

Provisional cast on (any method, links given)
Simple wrap & turn (step-by-step instructions given)
Kitchener graft or Three Needle bind off (your choice, links given)

Project rating: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate

♥

My design was inspired by New Mexico’s magnificent Shiprock geologic formation, the 7,000-ft tall “neck” of an ancient volcano that rears steeply and dramatically from the surrounding Four Corners desert. Shiprock is so big, it’s visible from space! Read more about it here: http://southwestdesertlover.wordpress.com/tag/shiprock.