Berroco Cornwallis Cowl Knitting Pattern

Berroco Cornwallis Knit Cowl

What is Being Made

The Cornwallis is a knitted cowl designed by the Berroco Design Team. This is a versatile neckwear accessory with finished measurements of approximately 9 inches wide by 65 inches around, making it suitable for wrapping around the neck multiple times or wearing as a generous loop. The cowl is worked in a single size and is classified as an Easy skill level project, making it accessible to knitters with basic experience.

Techniques Used

This cowl is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, which means the finished piece requires seaming to join the ends together and create the circular cowl shape. The construction method of working flat and seaming is a traditional approach that allows for straightforward stitch manipulation and pattern work.

The design incorporates striping as a primary visual element, created by alternating between two distinct yarn colors throughout the pattern. The color work is achieved through strategic yarn changes rather than complex colorwork techniques, making it manageable for knitters at the easy skill level.

Stitches Used

The Cornwallis pattern employs fundamental knitting stitches organized into two main pattern sections:

• Border Pattern: A 12-row repeat featuring knit stitches and purl stitches. The border uses knit stitches across (Row 1), followed by a combination of knit edges with purled centers (Row 2), then two complete knit rows in the contrasting color (Rows 3 and 4). This 4-row sequence is repeated three times to create the 12-row border.
• Pattern Stitch: A 4-row repeat that forms the main body of the cowl. It alternates between knit rows and slip stitch rows. The slip stitches are worked with yarn held in back (WYIB) on one row and with yarn held in front (WYIF) on the following row, creating a subtle textured effect. The slip stitch technique involves slipping stitches purlwise without working them, which creates a neat, refined appearance while maintaining the striped color pattern.

The pattern maintains 3-stitch garter stitch edges (knit stitches on every row) on both sides of the piece, providing stability and a finished appearance to the sides of the cowl.

Materials

The Cornwallis cowl is designed to be worked with Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light yarn, a premium fiber choice. The pattern calls for 3 hanks of color A (shade #4281 Redwood Mix) and 2 hanks of color B (shade #4279 Potting Soil Mix). Each hank weighs 50 grams, providing sufficient yardage for the complete project.

Needles: Straight knitting needles in size 5 (3.75 mm) are specified, though the pattern notes that needle size may be adjusted to obtain the correct gauge. The gauge for this project is 24 stitches and 46 rows over 4 inches when worked in the pattern stitch, and achieving this gauge is essential for the finished measurements to be accurate.