When fall arrives, I’m rarely without a cozy cowl around my neck—it’s a perfect accessory for sitting around a cozy campfire making s’mores and drinking cider. It’s also a perfect small project for learning a new technique, and I designed this cowl with new colorwork knitters in mind. I used a single Fair Isle X’s-and-O’s pattern and a simple border pattern and played with changes in background and foreground color-and-pattern placement for variation. Using only 3 colors gives a slightly bolder, more modern look to the traditional motifs and makes choosing colors simpler.

Note: For help with color choices, see this blog post.

Skill Level: Intermediate; techniques used include knitting in the round and stranded colorwork.

Finished Circumference: 26 ¾ in (68cm); see Notes for additional sizing options.

Finished Length: 9 in (23cm).

Yarn: DK weight. Approximately 130 yds (119m) Color A; 110 yds (101m) Color B; 50yds (46m) Color C.

Gauge: 24 sts & 30 rnds = 4”/10cm in stranded colorwork on larger needles. Be sure to swatch in the round in the colorwork pattern.

Needles: US #5 (3.75mm) 24 in (60cm) circular needle, or size needed to obtain gauge.
US #4 (3.5mm) 24 in (60cm) circular needle.

Notions: stitch marker, tapestry needle.

Notes: Cowl is worked in the round from the bottom up. The size can be increased or decreased by adding or subtracting a multiple of 20 stitches.