Noro Bias Eyelet Cowl Knitting Pattern

Noro Bias Eyelet Cowl

What Is Being Made

The Noro Bias Eyelet Cowl is a lightweight, versatile neckwear piece designed to be worn as a cowl or infinity-style accessory. This knitted cowl features a finished circumference of 24 inches (61 centimeters) and a length of 8½ inches (21.5 centimeters), making it an easy project suitable for knitters of various skill levels. The cowl is constructed using a bias construction method that creates visual interest through its angled shaping and creates a flattering drape around the neck.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive appearance and structure:

• Lace work: Eyelet details are incorporated throughout the design using yarn overs (yo) and knit two together (k2tog) decreases, creating small openings that add visual texture and lightness to the finished piece.
• Bias construction: The cowl is worked on the bias, meaning stitches are increased and decreased strategically to create the angled, diagonal grain of the fabric. This technique involves make-one increases (M1) paired with decreases to shift the fabric's direction.
• Striping: Two contrasting yarn colors are used in alternating rows to create horizontal stripes throughout the cowl, adding visual dimension and color interest.
• Worked flat: The entire piece is knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, then seamed together at the back to complete the cowl shape.
• Seaming: A back seam joins the two ends of the flat-worked piece, creating the final cowl structure.

Stitches Used

The Noro Bias Eyelet Cowl utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined to create its textured pattern:

• Knit (k): The basic foundation stitch used throughout most rows.
• Purl (p): Used selectively to create texture variation, particularly in the pattern stitch sections.
• Yarn over (yo): Creates the eyelet openings that are characteristic of the lace design.
• Knit two together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used in both the lace pattern and the shaping sequences.
• Slip stitch (sl 1): The first stitch of every row is slipped with yarn in front (wyif) to create clean, finished edges.
• Make-one (M1): An increase stitch used during the increase sequences to add stitches while maintaining the bias construction.
• Knit front and back (kfb): An increase stitch used in the initial setup rows to establish the foundation.
• Knit three together (k3tog): A double decrease used in the lace pattern rows.
• Slip, knit two together, pass slipped stitch over (SK2P): A centered double decrease used during the final decrease sequence.

Materials

The Noro Bias Eyelet Cowl is designed to showcase beautiful yarn in a lightweight construction:

• Yarn A: One ball of Noro Silk Garden Lite in colorway #2067, providing the primary color and luxurious fiber blend.
• Yarn B: One 1¾ ounce (50 gram) ball of Debbie Bliss Bella in burnt orange (#7), a cotton, silk, and cashmere blend, each ball containing approximately 105 yards (96 meters). This yarn provides the contrasting stripe color.
• Needles: One pair of size 5 (3.75 millimeter) straight needles, or the size needed to obtain the correct gauge.

Gauge and Construction Details

The pattern is worked at a gauge of 18 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in pattern stitch using size 5 (3.75 millimeter) needles. The cowl begins with a single cast-on stitch that is increased over several rows to establish the working width. The pattern then repeats an eight-row sequence multiple times, alternating between the two yarn colors to create the striped effect. Increases and decreases are worked strategically to maintain the bias angle throughout. After the main body is complete, a decrease sequence gradually reduces the stitches