The Sunriver Cowl is the perfect project for the new knitter. Forget knitting a boring swatch and make a cowl instead. Garter stitch is the way to go for a beginner; the chunky garter texture is a super popular look right now, it’s squishy and grows fast, plus it’s just one repetitive motion and is great practice for gaining command of even tension.

I’ve taught a few people to knit over the years and have made a few mistakes along the way: one extreme was to to bore them with swatches and the other extreme, letting them loose on a project that was over their head. There’s something to say about finding the right balance, so when teaching a new knitter I have a few tips to ensure success which I share on The Sunriver Cowl.