Dagny Cowl Knitting Pattern

Dagny Cowl in Berroco Vintage

What Is Being Made

The Dagny Cowl is a beginner-friendly knitted cowl designed by Cecily Glowik MacDonald. This circular neckwear piece features a finished circumference of 54 inches and a width of 9 inches, making it a versatile accessory suitable for layering or wearing as a traditional cowl. The design uses a two-color construction with contrasting yarn shades to create visual interest and texture variation throughout the piece.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Dagny Cowl employs several fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for knitters of all skill levels. The piece is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, which simplifies the construction process for beginners. After the flat piece is completed, the cast-on edge and bind-off edge are sewn together using a tapestry needle to create the finished cowl shape. This approach allows knitters to work with straight needles while still achieving a circular finished garment.

The pattern incorporates increases and decreases to shape the cowl. An increase row uses the kf&b (knit in front and back) technique to add three stitches evenly distributed across the row, while a decrease row uses k2tog (knit two together) to reduce stitches. These shaping techniques create subtle dimension in the finished piece.

The cowl features a herringbone texture panel worked over 17 stitches, which creates a distinctive woven appearance through the strategic placement of knit and purl stitches. This textured section adds visual depth and interest to the otherwise simple garter stitch construction.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: The primary stitch throughout most of the cowl, created by knitting every row. Garter stitch produces a reversible, textured fabric with horizontal ridges and is ideal for beginners due to its simplicity and forgiving nature.
• Kf&b (Knit in Front and Back): An increase technique where the knitter works into the front and back of the same stitch, creating one new stitch from one existing stitch. This technique is used in the increase row to add shaping.
• K2tog (Knit Two Together): A basic decrease technique where two stitches are knitted together as one, reducing the stitch count. This is used in the decrease row for shaping.
• Herringbone Texture Panel: A four-row repeat pattern combining knit and purl stitches over 17 stitches to create a distinctive herringbone or woven visual effect. The pattern alternates between rows worked on the right side and wrong side to achieve the characteristic crossed appearance.

Materials and Tools

The Dagny Cowl is designed to be worked in Berroco Vintage yarn, a yarn from the Portfolio Vol. 2 collection. The pattern calls for 2 hanks of the main color (MC) in shade #5116 Dove and 1 hank of the contrasting color (CC) in shade #5101 Mochi. Each hank weighs 100 grams, providing ample yardage for the finished cowl.

Two sizes of straight knitting needles are required: size 8 (5.00 mm) needles for the main fabric and size 7 (4.50 mm) needles for sections worked with the contrasting color. The pattern notes that needle size may be adjusted to obtain the correct gauge. A tapestry needle is needed for seaming the cast-on and bind-off edges together to complete the cowl.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 18 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches when working in garter stitch on the larger size 8 needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the finished measurements of 9 inches wide by 54 inches in circumference. The pattern emphasizes checking gauge before beginning, as variations in individual knitter tension can affect the final dimensions of the cowl.