Cascade Yarns DK Emily Braided Cowl Knitting Pattern

Cascade Yarns DK Emily Braided Cowl

What is Being Made

The Cascade Yarns DK Emily Braided Cowl is a seamless, tubular knitted accessory designed to be worn around the neck or shoulders. This intermediate-level project creates a finished cowl measuring approximately 22 inches around by 8 inches tall, offering comfortable coverage for layering or standalone wear.

Techniques Used

This cowl is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create visual interest and structural integrity:

• Worked in the Round: The cowl is knitted seamlessly in a continuous circular direction, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, professional finish.
• Bottom-Up Construction: The piece is worked from the cast-on edge upward, allowing knitters to try on and adjust fit as they progress.
• Cable Stitches: Multiple cable variations form the decorative pattern that defines the cowl's braided aesthetic. These include left and right crossing cables that twist and interlock throughout the design.

Stitches Used

The pattern employs a combination of fundamental and advanced stitches to achieve its textured appearance:

• Knit and Purl: Basic knit and purl stitches form the foundation, with ribbing sections (P2, K3 repeats) creating elastic edges at the top and bottom.
• Cable Stitches: The pattern features six distinct cable stitch variations:
  • 3/3 LC (Left Cross): Slip 3 stitches to cable needle, hold in front, knit 3, then knit 3 from cable needle
  • 3/3 RC (Right Cross): Slip 3 stitches to cable needle, hold in back, knit 3, then knit 3 from cable needle
  • 3/2 LPC (Left Purl Cross): Slip 3 stitches to cable needle, hold in front, purl 2, then knit 3 from cable needle
  • 3/2 RPC (Right Purl Cross): Slip 2 stitches to cable needle, hold in back, knit 3, then purl 2 from cable needle
  • 3/1 LPC (Left Single Purl Cross): Slip 3 stitches to cable needle, hold in front, purl 1, then knit 3 from cable needle
  • 3/1 RPC (Right Single Purl Cross): Slip 1 stitch to cable needle, hold in back, knit 3, then purl 1 from cable needle

Pattern Structure

The cowl follows a three-section construction totaling 57 rounds:

• Opening Ribbing (Rounds 1-9): A P2, K3 ribbing pattern repeated across 120 cast-on stitches creates an elastic, fitted opening.
• Main Pattern (Rounds 10-39): A 30-stitch repeat is worked four times around the cowl for 30 rounds, creating the braided cable design that forms the visual centerpiece.
• Closing Ribbing (Rounds 40-57): The pattern returns to ribbing for 18 rounds (9 rounds of the pattern repeat worked twice), mirroring the opening and providing structure at the top edge.

Materials and Tools

The cowl is designed to be worked with specific materials and equipment:

• Yarn: Cascade Yarns Pacific Sport, a blend of 60% acrylic and 40% superwash merino wool. One 100-gram skein (3.5 ounces / 273 yards or 250 meters) in color #121 (Deep Lavender) provides sufficient yardage for the complete project.
• Needles: US 5-6 (3.75-4.0 mm) knitting needles sized to achieve the specified gauge of 22 stitches and 24 rows over 4 inches in pattern.
• Notions: A cable needle for managing cable stitches, stitch markers (including one unique marker to denote the beginning of round), a yarn needle for weaving in ends, and scrap yarn for provisional cast-on if desired.

Finishing

Once all