Malabrigo Dumbo Cowl Knitting Pattern

Malabrigo Dumbo Cowl Pattern Summary

What Is Being Made

The Malabrigo Dumbo is a seamless brick-stitch cowl designed by Matthew Schrank, featured in Malabrigo Book 7: Rasta in Brooklyn. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a finished cowl with a circumference of approximately 48 inches (122 cm) and a width of 8½ inches (21.5 cm), making it an ideal accessory for layering and everyday wear.

Techniques Used

This cowl is worked in the round using a seamless construction method, eliminating the need for seaming. The pattern features stripes created through alternating color work with two distinct yarn colors. The primary stitch technique employed is the brick stitch, a textured stitch pattern that creates a dimensional, interlocking appearance. Additional techniques include yarn wrapping (wrapping yarn twice around the needle for elongated stitches), slipping stitches with yarn in front or back, and working through the back loop for twisted stitches.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (k): The foundational stitch used throughout the pattern
• Slip stitch (sl1): Stitches slipped with yarn in front (wyif) or yarn in back (wyib), essential to the brick-stitch construction
• Purl stitch (p): Used in alternating rounds to create the brick texture
• Knit through the back loop (k1 tbl): Creates twisted stitches for stitch offset in the brick pattern
• Wrapped stitches: Yarn wrapped twice around the needle, then dropped in subsequent rounds to create elongated stitches that form the brick effect

Materials

The Dumbo cowl is worked using Rasta by Malabrigo yarn, a bulky-weight yarn available in 5.25 oz (150 gram) hanks, each containing approximately 90 yards (83 meters). The pattern requires 2 hanks in colorway #856 Azules (Color A) and 1 hank in colorway #850 Archangel (Color B). Knitting is performed on one size 17 (12 mm) circular needle measuring 32 inches (80 cm) long, or a size adjusted to obtain proper gauge. A stitch marker is needed to track the beginning of rounds.

Gauge and Construction Details

The pattern is worked at a gauge of 8 stitches and 18 rounds over 4 inches (10 cm) in brick stitch using a size 17 (12.75 mm) needle. The cowl begins with a cast-on of 96 stitches joined in the round, followed by preparatory fabric-stitch rounds before establishing the main brick-stitch pattern. The brick-stitch repeat spans 8 rounds and is worked twice through the body of the cowl, creating a balanced, symmetrical design. The pattern concludes with additional fabric-stitch rounds and a loose bind-off to maintain elasticity at the edge.