Dotted Swiss Cowl Knitting Pattern

Dotted Swiss Cowl Knitting Pattern by Plymouth Yarn

Project Overview

The Dotted Swiss Cowl is a circular knit accessory designed by Jan Chicka and offered free with yarn purchase by Plymouth Yarn. This cowl pattern creates a versatile neckwear piece measuring approximately 24 inches wide by 25 inches around, making it suitable for layering and everyday wear.

Materials and Gauge

This pattern requires Encore Mega yarn, a bulky weight option, with two 100-gram balls needed to complete the project. The gauge is worked at 2 stitches per 1 inch over stockinette stitch, which accommodates the yarn's substantial weight. A single 16-inch US 15 circular needle is required for working this cowl in the round.

Construction Technique

The Dotted Swiss Cowl is constructed using the in-the-round knitting method, worked on a circular needle to create a seamless tubular garment. The pattern begins with a loose cast-on of 50 stitches, with care taken to avoid twisting the stitches when joining. The foundation includes a simple garter stitch border created by alternating knit and purl rounds, which provides structure and prevents curling at the edges.

Stitch Pattern and Techniques

The main design element features a repeating eyelet pattern that creates the distinctive dotted appearance. The pattern sequence repeats every 5 rounds:

• Rounds 1-4: Knit in stockinette stitch
• Round 5: Yarn over and knit 2 together (yo, k2tog) repeated around the entire circumference

This yarn over and decrease combination creates small eyelets spaced evenly throughout the fabric, producing the characteristic dotted Swiss texture. The pattern is repeated until the cowl reaches the desired width, working as close to the end of the yarn as possible. The final round is a round 4 (knit round), followed by a single purl round and a loose bind-off worked knitwise. All ends are woven in to finish the piece.

Finished Dimensions

The completed cowl measures approximately 24 inches in width and 25 inches in circumference, creating a generous cowl suitable for wrapping around the neck once or twice depending on preference and styling.