Nissa Cowl Knitting Pattern

Nissa Cowl in Juniper Moon Farm Stratus

What Is Being Made

The Nissa Cowl is a circular knit cowl designed by Claudia Wersing as part of the Nordic Collection. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a cozy neckwear piece with finished measurements of 23¾ inches in circumference and 9¾ inches in length, making it an ideal accessory for layering during cooler seasons.

Techniques Used

This cowl employs several fundamental knitting techniques to achieve its finished design. The pattern begins and ends with garter stitch worked in rounds, which creates a textured, reversible fabric that lies flat and provides structure to the cowl edges. The main body of the cowl features Fair Isle colorwork, a traditional stranded knitting technique that incorporates multiple yarn colors across each round to create the patterned design shown in the included chart. This method requires managing two colors per row while maintaining consistent tension. The cowl is worked in the round using circular needles, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates a seamless, continuous tube of fabric. Light blocking is recommended during finishing to even out the stitches and enhance the pattern definition.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch (in rounds): Created by alternating knit rounds with purl rounds to produce a bumpy, textured fabric. The pattern uses 6 rounds of garter stitch at the cast-on edge and 6 rounds at the cast-off edge.
• Stockinette Stitch (in rounds): The primary stitch for the patterned section, worked by knitting every round to create a smooth, V-textured fabric that serves as the ideal base for Fair Isle colorwork.
• Fair Isle Colorwork: The main design element uses a 16-stitch pattern repeat worked across 45 rows, repeated 7 times around the circumference. The chart incorporates three yarn colors—Golden Dusk (A), Onyx (B), and Nebula (C)—to create the Nordic-inspired pattern.

Materials and Gauge

The Nissa Cowl is worked using Juniper Moon Farm Stratus yarn, a premium fiber choice. The pattern calls for three 50-gram balls in specific colorways: color 105 Golden Dusk, color 114 Onyx, and color 102 Nebula. These three colors work together to create the Fair Isle design while maintaining visual harmony throughout the finished piece.

Needles required are US 10/6mm circular needles measuring 31 inches in length, which accommodate the 112 cast-on stitches comfortably. The pattern recommends LYKKE® needles for optimal results. A stitch marker is needed to denote the beginning and end of rounds.

The recommended gauge is 18 stitches and 22 rows over 4 inches, measured over patterned Stockinette stitch using US 10/6mm needles. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements and ensuring the Fair Isle pattern displays as intended.