Madelinetosh Bauhaus Cowl Knitting Pattern

Madelinetosh Bauhaus Cowl

What is Being Made

The Madelinetosh Bauhaus Cowl is a circular cowl neckwarmer featuring a sophisticated two-color stranded knit design. This intermediate-level project produces a finished cowl measuring 52 inches in circumference and 10.5 inches in height, making it a generous, versatile accessory suitable for layering or wearing as a statement piece.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs stranded knitting worked in the round, a technique that creates colorwork by carrying two yarn colors simultaneously around the circumference. The cowl uses the slip stitch technique, where stitches are slipped as if to purl with yarn held in back (wyib) to create dimensional texture without actually working those stitches. The pattern also incorporates purl stitches worked in the round to create contrast and visual interest against the knit stitches. Yarn is carried up the inside of the work rather than cut between color changes, maintaining structural integrity and reducing finishing work.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch: The foundational stitch creating smooth stockinette texture in sections
• Purl stitch: Used both as a pattern element and for border ribbing at the cast-on and bind-off edges
• Slip stitch (wyib): Stitches slipped as if to purl with yarn in back create the signature dimpled texture by skipping over certain stitches
• Dimple Stitch: A 16-round repeat pattern combining knit, purl, and slip stitches in alternating color blocks to produce a textured, dimensional surface

Materials

Yarn: Madelinetosh Tosh DK, a superwash merino wool yarn at 225 yards per 3.5 ounces. The pattern requires 2 skeins in "Cloak" (Color A) and 1 skein in "Charcoal" (Color B), totaling approximately 675 yards of yarn.

Needles and Notions: One US 8 (5 mm) circular needle measuring 32 inches in length, appropriate for working the 264 cast-on stitches in the round without excessive needle length. One stitch marker is needed to indicate the beginning of each round.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern is worked at a gauge of 5 stitches per 1 inch in stockinette stitch. This gauge determines the final dimensions of the cowl and should be verified before beginning the project to ensure proper fit and yardage accuracy.