Berroco Arundhati Cowl Knitting Pattern

Berroco Arundhati Knit Cowl

What is Being Made

The Berroco Arundhati is a sophisticated knit cowl designed by Amy Christoffers, featured in Booklet #390. This intermediate-level project creates a finished cowl measuring approximately 12 inches wide by 32 inches around after blocking. The cowl is a versatile neckwear piece that combines textural interest with elegant stitch work, suitable for adding warmth and style to any wardrobe.

Techniques Used

This cowl is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create visual depth and sophistication. The garment is worked flat on straight needles, meaning it is knitted in rows rather than in the round. The finished cowl is then seamed together by sewing the cast-on and bound-off edges together to form the circular shape, with care taken not to twist the fabric during assembly. The bottom-up construction method means knitting begins at the lower edge and progresses upward to the bind-off edge. Cable and lace techniques are incorporated throughout the 24-row repeat pattern to create the distinctive visual character of the design.

Stitches Used

The Arundhati pattern employs a combination of fundamental and decorative stitches to achieve its textured appearance. Stockinette stitch (St st) forms the foundation of the gauge measurement and much of the fabric. Garter stitch elements are created through knit and purl combinations. Cable stitches are worked using the CB4 technique, which involves slipping 2 stitches to a cable needle and holding them to the back, knitting 2 stitches, then knitting the 2 stitches from the cable needle. This creates the characteristic twisted rope-like texture.

Lace stitches are integrated throughout the pattern using yarn overs (yo) paired with decreases. The pattern utilizes SSK (slip, slip, knit) and k2tog (knit 2 together) decreases to balance the yarn overs and maintain stitch count while creating openwork sections. Slip stitches are used at the beginning of rows (sl 1 wyib on right-side rows and sl 1 wyif on wrong-side rows) to create neat, finished edges. Purl stitches (p) are worked strategically to frame the cable and lace motifs.

Materials

The Arundhati cowl is knitted using Berroco Bento yarn in the colorway #8710 Daikon. Three 50-gram balls of yarn are required to complete the project. Straight needles in size 8 (5.00 mm) are used, or a size that achieves the required gauge. A cable needle is essential for working the cable stitches throughout the pattern. The recommended gauge is 17 stitches and 22 rows equal 4 inches in stockinette stitch, and checking gauge before beginning is strongly advised to ensure proper finished dimensions.

Pattern Structure

The cowl begins with casting on 55 stitches and follows a 24-row repeat pattern that is worked six times, creating the full length of the cowl. The pattern alternates between cable crossings and lace decreases in different sections, creating visual movement and interest. After completing all pattern repeats, stitches are bound off using a method that knits the knit stitches and purls the purl stitches to maintain the stitch definition. The finishing process involves seaming the cast-on and bound-off edges together and blocking the finished cowl to achieve the specified measurements.