Chevron Cowl Knitting Pattern

Chevron Cowl Knitting Pattern by Plymouth Yarn

Project Overview

The Chevron Cowl is a downloadable knitting pattern from Plymouth Yarn's Design Studio collection. This cowl project creates a finished accessory measuring 9 inches wide with a 30-inch circumference, making it a versatile neckwear piece suitable for various head and neck sizes. The pattern is designed to be worked in the round using a two-strand technique that creates visual interest and allows for customization in colorway selection.

Materials and Gauge

This pattern requires Boku yarn from Plymouth Yarn, with 2 balls of 50-gram weight needed to complete the project. The recommended yarn color used in the original design is color 13. Knitters work at a gauge of 4.5 stitches per 1 inch when working the pattern stitch on US size 8 knitting needles. Additional supplies include scrap yarn for the provisional cast-on, a spare needle for grafting, and standard knitting notions.

Knitting Techniques

The Chevron Cowl employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques. The pattern begins with a provisional cast-on using scrap yarn, which allows the knitter to later unravel and graft the two ends together seamlessly. The primary construction method uses the Kitchener stitch (also called grafting) to join the cast-on and bind-off edges, creating a seamless circular cowl. The pattern incorporates a two-strand knitting approach where knitters alternate between two strands of yarn, carrying the inactive strand up the side of the work to minimize weaving in ends and create a reversible finished piece.

Stitches and Pattern Details

The Chevron Cowl features a distinctive chevron pattern stitch that creates the characteristic zigzag visual effect. The pattern stitch consists of two rows worked repeatedly:

• Row 1: Knit 3 stitches, then repeat a sequence of knit-front-and-back increase (kf&b), knit 6, slip-1-knit2tog-pass slipped stitch over (a centered double decrease), knit 6, and knit-front-and-back increase across the row, ending with knit 3
• Row 2: Knit 3 stitches, purl to the last 3 stitches, knit 3 (creating garter stitch borders)

The pattern uses increases and decreases to create the chevron shaping. The kf&b stitch increases by knitting into both the front and back loops of a single stitch, while the centered double decrease (slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over) creates a balanced reduction. These increases and decreases are strategically placed to form the characteristic V-shaped chevron motif.

Construction Method

Knitters begin by casting on 40 stitches using the provisional method with scrap yarn. After attaching the Boku yarn, the pattern stitch is worked for 6 rows. The two-strand technique then begins: a second strand of yarn is attached, and 6 rows of pattern stitch are worked starting with Row 2 (rather than Row 1) to ensure the cowl is reversible. The first strand is then worked again for 6 rows starting with Row 1. This alternating process continues until the piece reaches 30 inches from the cast-on edge. The final step involves unraveling the provisional cast-on and using the Kitchener stitch to graft the two ends together, creating a seamless circular cowl. All ends are woven in, and the finished piece is blocked to set the stitches and even out the fabric.

Customization Options

The pattern offers flexibility in yarn color selection. Knitters may choose to use a single colorway of Boku yarn and begin at different color sections within the yarn's variegation (for example, using blue for one strand and green for the other). Alternatively, knitters may select two entirely different colors and alternate them throughout the pattern for a more dramatic color-blocked effect. The original design was created using a single colorway approach.