Koigu Herringbone Stranded Cowl Knitting Pattern

Koigu Herringbone Stranded Cowl

What Is Being Made

The Koigu Herringbone Stranded Cowl is a seamless, worked-in-the-round neck accessory designed by Matthew Schrank for Koigu Wool Designs. This cowl features a finished circumference of 24 inches and a height of 12 inches, making it a versatile layering piece suitable for various neckline styles and seasonal wear.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs three primary knitting techniques:

• Seamless construction: The cowl is worked entirely in the round using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a continuous, polished fabric.
• Stranded colorwork: A multi-color herringbone pattern is created by carrying multiple yarn colors across rows, with the stranding chart spanning rows 19 through 78. This technique produces a dense, reversible fabric with excellent insulation properties.
• Worked in the round: Using US size 3 circular needles measuring 24 inches, the knitter works continuously in circular rounds, which is ideal for creating seamless tubular garments like cowls.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined in specific sequences:

• Knit through back loop (K1tbl): Used throughout the ribbed sections and incorporated into the bind-off method, this stitch creates a twisted appearance that adds visual interest and structure.
• Purl (P1): Alternated with knit through back loop stitches in a (K1tbl, P1) ribbed pattern for the top and bottom edges of the cowl (rows 1–18 and rows 80–96).
• Stranded colorwork pattern: Rows 19–78 follow a detailed herringbone chart utilizing 13 distinct colors from the Koigu Painter's Premium Palette Merino: P322, P359, P608, P315, P602, P888, P912, P151, P606, P105D, P108, and P634.
• Stretchy bind-off: The pattern specifies a custom stretchy bind-off method using P2tog (purl two together) and K1tbl, which ensures the finished edge remains elastic and comfortable against the neck.

Materials and Yarn

The Koigu Herringbone Stranded Cowl is constructed using Koigu Painter's Premium Palette Merino (KPPPM), a premium merino wool yarn. The pattern calls for 13 color variations from this palette, specifically in the BRICK color group, allowing for a rich, multi-tonal herringbone design. The gauge is 30 stitches and 32 rows over the stranded chart pattern.

Needles and Notions

The pattern requires US size 3 circular needles measuring 24 inches in length. Circular needles are essential for this seamless, in-the-round construction. The pattern also calls for a stitch marker to indicate the beginning and end of each round, and basic finishing supplies for weaving in ends and light blocking.

Construction Overview

The cowl begins with a cast-on of 180 stitches. The first 18 rows establish the lower ribbed edge using the (K1tbl, P1) pattern. Rows 19 through 78 feature the stranded herringbone colorwork, which forms the visual centerpiece of the garment. Row 79 transitions to a solid color (P634) before the final ribbed section (rows 80–96) mirrors the opening rows. The pattern concludes with a stretchy bind-off worked in pattern, followed by weaving in ends and light blocking to set the fabric.