Lace Cowl Knitting Pattern

Lace Cowl in Noro Okunoshima

What is Being Made

This is an intermediate-level knitted cowl designed to be worn as a neck accessory. The finished cowl measures 56 inches in circumference and 9 inches in width, creating a generous, draped neckwear piece suitable for layering or wearing as a statement accessory.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Lace Cowl employs several essential knitting techniques to create its finished structure. The pattern utilizes increases worked using the make one method, which involves lifting the strand between stitches to add new stitches invisibly within the fabric. Decreases are incorporated through slip, slip, knit (SSK) and slip, slip, purl (SSP) methods, which create paired decreases that lean in opposite directions for balanced shaping in lace patterns.

The cowl is worked in the round using circular needles, which allows for seamless construction. Lace pattern work is a primary technique, requiring careful attention to yarn overs and decreases to create the characteristic openwork design. The pattern includes selvage stitches at the edges to facilitate seaming if needed, and stitch markers are used to help track pattern repeats and construction sections.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch – the foundational smooth stitch used in sections of the cowl
• Lace pattern stitch – the decorative openwork stitch that forms the primary design element
• Yarn overs – used to create the open holes characteristic of lace knitting
• Knit stitches and purl stitches – basic stitches that form the structure
• Slip stitches – used for decreases and edge finishing
• Make one increases – for invisible stitch additions within the fabric

Materials and Tools

The Lace Cowl is knitted using Noro Okunoshima yarn in colorway #07. The pattern calls for two 100-gram cakes of this yarn, providing sufficient yardage for the full circumference and width of the finished piece.

The required needles are US 9 (5.5mm) circular needles measuring 32 inches (40cm) in length, sized to obtain proper gauge. Additional tools include a stitch marker for tracking pattern repeats and a cable needle for any cable-work elements if incorporated into the lace pattern.

Gauge Information

The pattern specifies two different gauges depending on the stitch being worked. Over Stockinette stitch, the gauge is 16 stitches and 22 rounds to 4 inches (10cm) using US 9 needles. Over the Lace Pattern, the gauge is 16 stitches and 18 rounds to 4 inches (10cm) using the same needle size. Checking gauge before beginning is essential for achieving the correct finished measurements.