Hudson River Cowl in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool and Sock-Ease

Hudson River Cowl in Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool and Sock-Ease

Project Overview

The Hudson River Cowl is a colorful striped knitting project designed to turn heads with its vibrant color combinations. This cowl features a finished circumference of approximately 56 inches (142 cm) and a finished height of about 11 inches (28 cm), making it a versatile neckwear accessory suitable for various occasions and seasons.

Skill Level and Construction

Rated as Easy +, this pattern is accessible to knitters with basic experience while offering enough visual interest to engage intermediate crafters. The cowl is worked in the round using circular knitting needles, which creates a seamless, tubular construction that requires no seaming upon completion.

Yarn Materials

This design showcases the versatility of combining two distinct Lion Brand yarn types to achieve both texture and color variation:

• Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool: A durable, traditional wool yarn used in two colorways—Oatmeal (1 ball) and Nature's Brown (1 ball)—providing warmth and classic appeal
• Lion Brand Sock-Ease: A specialized yarn designed for sock knitting, used in five vibrant colorways—Rock Candy, Lemon Drop, Taffy, Red Hots, and an additional color—with one ball of each color contributing to the striped effect

Throughout the project, two strands of yarn are held together, combining one strand from Fishermen's Wool with one strand from Sock-Ease to create unique color combinations and achieve the desired gauge and fabric density.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Hudson River Cowl employs fundamental knitting techniques worked in the round on a 40-inch (101.5 cm) circular knitting needle in size 9 (5.5 mm). The primary stitches used include:

• K2, P2 Ribbing: A classic ribbed stitch pattern worked in the round over a multiple of 4 stitches. This stitch creates vertical columns of knit and purl stitches that provide elasticity and structure. The ribbing is worked for the first 4 rounds, creating a fitted cuff that helps the cowl maintain its shape around the neck
• Stockinette Stitch (St st) in the Round: Created by knitting every round, this smooth, flat stitch forms the body of the cowl and showcases the striped color changes. The stockinette stitch provides a clean canvas for displaying the yarn color combinations

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 14 stitches equals 4 inches (10 cm) when worked in stockinette stitch in the round using one strand each of Fishermen's Wool and Sock-Ease held together. Checking gauge is essential to ensure the finished cowl meets the specified dimensions and that the yardage provided is sufficient for completion.

Construction Details

The cowl begins with casting on 196 stitches and joining them in the round while being careful not to twist the stitches. A stitch marker is placed to denote the beginning of each round. The pattern progresses through ribbed sections and stockinette sections, with yarn color changes occurring at regular intervals to create the distinctive striped effect. The combination of two yarn strands throughout provides both color variation and appropriate fabric weight for a wearable cowl.

Additional Supplies

Beyond yarn and needles, the pattern recommends Lion Brand Stitch Markers to track round progression and Large-Eye Blunt Needles for weaving in yarn ends upon completion.