Pilot Short and Long Cowls Knitting Pattern

Pilot Short and Long Cowls in Berroco Mercado

What Is Being Made

The Pilot Short and Long Cowls pattern offers two distinct cowl designs in a single downloadable PDF. Both versions are neck cowls—circular or tubular garments worn around the neck for warmth and style. The Short Version measures approximately 12 inches wide by 26 inches around, making it a compact, close-fitting cowl. The Long Version measures approximately 10 inches wide by 65 inches around, creating a longer, more dramatic drape suitable for wrapping multiple times or wearing loosely around the shoulders.

Techniques and Construction Methods

Both cowls employ charted knitting patterns as their primary construction method. The Short Version is worked in the round using a circular needle, which allows for seamless, continuous knitting in a spiral. The pattern requires casting on 130 stitches, then working through a 22-row repeat chart three complete times, followed by working rows 1 through 6 once more before binding off. This creates a structured, patterned fabric with consistent stitch definition throughout.

The Long Version uses a different construction approach, worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round. This version begins with 51 stitches and establishes a chart pattern with edge stitches (3 knit stitches on each side) and decorative twisted stitches (k1tbl and p1tbl) that frame the central 41-stitch charted pattern. The long cowl requires repeating the 22-row chart pattern 16 times, then working rows 1 through 6 one final time. After knitting is complete, the cast-on and bound-off edges are sewn together to form the tubular cowl shape, requiring careful attention to avoid twisting the fabric.

Both versions conclude with finishing techniques including weaving in yarn ends and blocking to set the stitch pattern and achieve final measurements.

Stitches Used

The patterns incorporate fundamental knitting stitches combined with charted stitch patterns. Key stitches include:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches as the foundation of the charted patterns
• Twisted stitches (k1tbl and p1tbl—knit through the back loop and purl through the back loop), which add textural interest and help frame the pattern sections in the Long Version
• Charted stitch patterns specific to each cowl version, which are worked from the provided Short Cowl Chart and Long Cowl Chart respectively

Materials and Tools

The Pilot Short and Long Cowls are designed to be knitted with Berroco Mercado yarn, a bulky-weight yarn supplied in 100-gram hanks. The Short Version requires 2 hanks of Berroco Mercado in colorway #4133 Azul (C1), while the Long Version requires 4 hanks in colorway #4103 Playa (C2).

For needles, the Short Version calls for a 24-inch circular needle in size 10 (6.00 mm), along with 1 stitch marker to denote the beginning of the round. The Long Version requires straight needles in size 10 (6.00 mm) and 2 stitch markers to denote pattern sections.

Achieving proper gauge is essential for accurate finished measurements. The pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches and 24 rows equals 4 inches in the charted patterns. Knitters are advised to knit a gauge swatch before beginning to ensure their needle size produces the correct tension, as individual knitting styles and yarn characteristics can affect final garment dimensions.

Skill Level

Both cowl versions are rated as Intermediate difficulty, indicating that knitters should have foundational skills in casting on, basic stitches, and reading charted patterns before attempting this project.