Juniper Moon Farm Cowl Knitting Pattern

Kayla Cowl by Melissa Leapman

What is Being Made

The Kayla Cowl is a generous, wearable cowl from the Berkshires Collection by Juniper Moon Farm. This seamless knit cowl features a finished circumference of 40 inches (101.5 cm) and a width of 20½ inches (52 cm), making it an oversized neck accessory suitable for layering and draping. The cowl is designed to be worn as a versatile accessory that provides warmth and texture.

Techniques Used

The Kayla Cowl is constructed using bottom-up seamless construction, worked entirely in the round on circular needles. This method eliminates the need for seaming and creates a continuous, tubular fabric. The seamless approach ensures a smooth, finished appearance without visible seams, and working in the round allows for consistent stitch definition throughout the piece.

Stitches and Stitch Pattern

The cowl features a Textured Pattern worked over a 10-stitch multiple that repeats vertically over 10 rounds. The pattern alternates between two distinct round sequences:

• Rounds 1–5: Knit 5 stitches, purl 5 stitches, repeated around the entire circumference
• Rounds 6–10: Knit 1 stitch, purl 5 stitches, knit 4 stitches, repeated around the entire circumference

This 10-round repeat is worked 14 times consecutively to achieve the full length of the cowl. The combination of knit and purl stitches creates visual and tactile texture, with the staggered pattern in rounds 6–10 adding dimensional interest to the surface. The pattern is bound off in pattern to maintain consistency at the edge.

Materials and Specifications

The Kayla Cowl is knitted with Juniper Moon Farm Bluefaced Leicester yarn in color 08 Mulberry. The project requires 3 hanks of 100-gram weight yarn, totaling 300 grams of fiber. Bluefaced Leicester is a premium wool known for its softness, luster, and excellent stitch definition, making it an ideal choice for displaying textured stitch patterns.

Construction uses a Size US 7 (4.5 mm) circular needle measuring 32 inches (80 cm) long, or the size needed to achieve proper gauge. A stitch marker is required to denote the beginning of each round.

Gauge Information

The gauge for the Textured Pattern is 23 stitches and 31 rounds per 4 inches (10 cm) in the unblocked state. After blocking to finished measurements, the gauge becomes 18 stitches and 27 rounds per 4 inches (10 cm). The pattern notes that achieving exact gauge is not critical for this project, offering flexibility for knitters while still providing measurements for reference.

Construction Overview

The cowl begins with casting on 180 stitches and joining in the round with a stitch marker placed at the beginning. The 10-round Textured Pattern is then repeated 14 times consecutively, creating a total of 140 rounds of patterned fabric. Once the desired length is achieved, stitches are bound off in pattern to maintain visual consistency. The finishing process involves weaving in all ends and blocking the piece to the specified finished measurements of 40 inches circumference by 20½ inches width.