Juniper Moon Farm Cowl Knitting Pattern

Juniper Moon Farm Josette: Hat, Cowl & Fingerless Mitts

Overview

The Josette collection by Melissa Leapman features three coordinating knitted accessories designed to be worked together or separately. This collection includes a fitted hat, a generous cowl, and fingerless mitts, all featuring beautiful stranded colorwork in a Fair Isle pattern. The designs showcase the versatility of Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia yarn in multiple colorways, allowing crafters to create a cohesive set with sophisticated color combinations.

What Is Being Made

• Hat: A close-fitting hat with a ribbed brim and Fair Isle patterned body, available in two sizes with circumferences of 21" or 22" and a finished height of 10½"
• Cowl: A generous neckwarmer with a 24" circumference and 10½" height, featuring the same Fair Isle pattern as the hat
• Fingerless Mitts: Hand-warming accessories in two sizes (7¾" or 8¾" circumference) with a 9½" length, designed to coordinate with the hat and cowl

Knitting Techniques

These accessories are constructed using fundamental knitting techniques that create professional, polished results. The designs employ bottom-up construction, meaning pieces are knitted from the lower edge upward, allowing for easy fitting adjustments and straightforward pattern following. All three pieces are worked in the round using circular needles and double-pointed needles, which creates seamless, tubular garments without the need for seaming.

The most prominent technique featured throughout the collection is stranded colorwork, commonly known as Fair Isle knitting. This method involves carrying two colors of yarn across the back of the work while knitting with the active color, creating intricate two-color patterns on the fabric surface. The pattern is worked over 20 rounds and repeated strategically throughout each piece, with the hat and cowl featuring the same Fair Isle motif for visual cohesion.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The collection utilizes classic knitting stitches combined into structured stitch patterns. The 2x2 Ribbed stitch (alternating knit 2, purl 2) forms the brim of the hat, providing elasticity and a finished edge that hugs the head comfortably. This ribbed section measures 2 inches in height and serves as the foundation before transitioning to the patterned body.

The primary stitch pattern is the 2-color stranded Stockinette stitch, which combines basic knit stitches with the stranded colorwork technique. Stockinette stitch—created by knitting all stitches on right-side rounds and purling on wrong-side rounds (or knitting every round when working in the round)—provides a smooth, flat fabric base that showcases the Fair Isle pattern beautifully. The Hat Fair Isle Pattern is a 20-round repeat that is worked twice in the hat, then partially repeated for 14 additional rounds, creating visual interest and dimension.

Shaping techniques include M1 (Make 1) increases, which are worked evenly around the hat after the ribbed brim to accommodate the transition from the fitted brim to the slightly larger patterned body. The pattern also references ssk (slip, slip, knit) decreases, a left-leaning decrease used for shaping.

Materials and Yarn

The Josette collection is designed to showcase Juniper Moon Farm Patagonia yarn, a premium fiber available in five distinct colorways for this project. Each colorway is identified by both a name and a color number:

• Color 101 Light Grey (A): The primary neutral base color
• Color 131 Azalea (B): A soft pink-toned accent color
• Color 120 Rose (C): A deeper rose shade for additional color variation
• Color 126 Sequoia (D): A rich, deep tone for contrast
• Color 105 Wasabi (E): A muted green-toned accent color

The yarn is worked at a gauge of 29 stitches and 35 rounds per 4 inches in 2-color stranded Stockinette stitch when blocked, indicating a worsted or aran-weight yarn suitable for the specified needle sizes. Each 100-gram hank provides substantial yardage