Noro Two-Color Cowl Knitting Pattern

Noro Two-Color Cowl

What is Being Made

The Noro Two-Color Cowl is an intermediate-level knitted cowl designed as a versatile neckwear accessory. This seamless, tubular garment features a finished circumference of 26 inches (66 centimeters) and a width of 12 inches (30.5 centimeters), making it a substantial neck accessory suitable for layering or wearing as a statement piece.

Construction Method

This cowl is constructed using a bottom-up, seamless approach worked in the round. Working in the round eliminates the need for seaming and creates a continuous, tubular fabric from the cast-on edge to the bind-off. This construction method ensures a smooth, professional finish and allows for consistent stitch definition throughout the piece.

Techniques and Stitch Work

The Noro Two-Color Cowl employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its finished design:

• Striping: The two-color construction alternates between the main color (MC) and contrasting color (CC), creating horizontal stripes throughout the cowl
• Slip Stitch Pattern: The primary stitch pattern used is a slip stitch pattern, which creates texture and visual interest while maintaining fabric stability
• Increases and Decreases: Strategic shaping is achieved through increase techniques (such as knit in front and back of stitch, or make one increases) and decrease methods (knit 2 together, purl 2 together, and slip, slip, knit decreases)
• Round-by-Round Construction: The cowl is worked in continuous rounds, requiring the use of stitch markers to denote the beginning of each round and track pattern repeats

Materials Required

The Noro Two-Color Cowl is designed to showcase the distinctive characteristics of Noro yarns:

• Main Color (MC): 1 x 200-gram cake of Noro Bachi in colorway #07
• Contrasting Color (CC): 1 x 150-gram cake of Noro Kanzashi in colorway #01
• Needles: One US 13/9 millimeter circular needle, 24 inches (60 centimeters) in length, or the size required to obtain proper gauge
• Notions: One stitch marker for tracking rounds

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern is worked to a gauge of 10 stitches and 18 rounds over 4 inches (10 centimeters) when measured over the slip stitch pattern using a US 13/9 millimeter needle. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the specified finished measurements. Knitters should take time to swatch and check gauge before beginning the project to ensure proper fit and fabric characteristics.

Skill Level

Rated as an intermediate project, the Noro Two-Color Cowl is suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are comfortable working in the round on circular needles and managing multiple colors and stitch patterns simultaneously.