Ridged Cowl Knitting Pattern

Ridged Cowl in Plymouth Yarn Arequipa Boucle

What Is Being Made

The Ridged Cowl is a beginner-friendly knitted neckwear accessory designed to be worn as a cozy, close-fitting cowl around the neck. With finished measurements of 7 inches wide and 26 inches in circumference, this cowl provides comfortable coverage while remaining lightweight and easy to construct. The design is created using a single 100-gram ball of Plymouth Yarn Arequipa Boucle, making it an economical project that produces a wearable finished piece.

Techniques Used

This cowl is constructed using circular knitting in the round, a fundamental technique that creates a seamless, tubular fabric. The pattern begins with a long-tail cast-on method to create a secure foundation edge, then progresses with continuous rounds worked on a 24-inch circular needle. The cowl is finished with a bind-off worked loosely in pattern to match the cast-on tension, ensuring even edges. Blocking to finished measurements is recommended to achieve the intended dimensions and even out the textured surface created by the ridge pattern.

Stitches Used

The Ridged Cowl features a simple yet visually striking Ridge Pattern that alternates between knit and purl rounds to create horizontal ridged texture:

• Rounds 1–4: Knit across all stitches
• Rounds 5–8: Purl across all stitches
• This 8-round sequence repeats throughout the cowl until sufficient yarn remains only for binding off

The ridge pattern is a beginner-appropriate stitch combination that requires only basic knit and purl stitches, making it accessible to newer knitters while producing professional-looking dimensional texture. The alternation between knit and purl rounds creates the characteristic horizontal ridges that give the cowl its name and visual interest.

Materials and Tools

The Ridged Cowl is designed specifically for Plymouth Yarn Arequipa Boucle, a textured yarn that contributes to the cowl's visual appeal. One 100-gram ball provides sufficient yardage to complete the project. The pattern calls for US Size 10½ (6.5mm) circular needles in a 24-inch length, which is the appropriate needle size to achieve the correct gauge of 12 stitches and 20 rows over 4 inches in the ridge pattern after blocking. One stitch marker is needed to denote the beginning of each round during construction.