Chiltern Set Cowl Knitting Pattern

Chiltern Set in Berroco Lanas

Overview

The Chiltern Set is a coordinated knitting project designed by Alison Green that includes two complementary pieces: a cowl and a pair of mittens. Both items are worked at an intermediate skill level using the same yarn and needle size, making this an excellent project for knitters looking to expand their technique repertoire with colorwork and small-circumference knitting.

What Is Being Made

• Cowl: A neck warmer measuring approximately 30 inches around and 10½ inches high (unstretched), designed to provide warmth and style in a versatile accessory size
• Mittens: A pair of hand coverings, each approximately 6½ inches around and 10½ inches high (unstretched), sized to fit most adult hands comfortably

Knitting Techniques

This pattern employs two-color stranded colorwork throughout both garments, a technique where two yarn colors are carried across the back of the work to create color patterns on the front. The pattern uses a specialized 2-color long-tail cast-on method, which requires casting on very loosely using both yarn colors held together to establish an even foundation for the colorwork sections. The cowl is worked in the round using a circular needle, while the mittens utilize double-pointed needles or preferred small-circumference needles to maintain the tubular construction necessary for fitted hand garments.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Chiltern Set features patterned knitting worked in stockinette stitch as the base fabric. The specific stitch pattern is created through the two-color stranded colorwork technique, where different colors appear in a repeating motif across the rounds. The pattern is worked at a gauge of 13 stitches and 18 rows per 4 inches (measured in the pattern after blocking), which is essential to verify before beginning to ensure the finished measurements are accurate.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: The entire Chiltern Set is made using Berroco Lanas, a yarn that comes in 100-gram balls. The project requires only 1 ball each of two colors: #95140 Black Cherry (the darker color, abbreviated as DC in the pattern) and #95102 Steel Cut Oats (the lighter color, abbreviated as LC). This modest yardage requirement makes the set an economical choice for exploring colorwork techniques.

Needles: For the cowl, a 24-inch circular needle in size 7 (4.5 mm) is required. For the mittens, one set of double-pointed needles in the same size 7 (4.5 mm) is needed, though knitters may substitute their preferred needles for working small circumferences. Both needle sizes should be adjusted as necessary to obtain the specified gauge.

Skill Considerations

Rated as an intermediate project, the Chiltern Set requires competence with circular needle techniques, two-color stranded colorwork, and the ability to work decreases (particularly during the mitten shaping sections where rounds are counted differently). The pattern notes that during decrease sections, each round worked with both colors counts as a single round, requiring careful attention to the pattern instructions. Knitters should be comfortable checking gauge after blocking, as the finished measurements depend on proper gauge accuracy.