“Be clearly aware of the stars and infinity on high. Then life seems almost enchanted after all.” - Vincent van Gogh

Inspired by the iconic Starry Night painting, and yarn by the same name, I present the Starry Night Cowl. Seeing a genuine Van Gogh painting in real life is unlike seeing any other work. The huge globs of oil paint stick out from the canvas, the centers of them probably still drying.

The whorls and swirls of blues and yellows emulate the night sky and the thousands of twinkling stars. The qualities in hand dyed yarn remind me of his brush strokes, no single shade of blue existing next to another for too long. The slipped stitches combined with a stripping pattern create the effect of a night sky, the clouds of the Milky Way galaxy mixing with the stars spread across the entire universe.

This cowl, worked in the round, features a unique stripe pattern in linen stitch. The combination of slipped stitches and stripes creates the little specks of color, imitating stars.

This pattern works best in three different colored yarns. Colors A and C should be solid colored yarn, and color B works best as a combination of the two.

The original color choices from Dragonfly Fibers were Weaverknits Grellow, Starry Night, and Nymeria. Unfortunately, Weaverknits Grellow and Nymeria are no longer offered, but fine substitutes would be Golden Compass and Blue Velvet.

You’ll use the whole skein, so do not cut the yarn after you do your gauge swatch.