Rowan Holm Cowl Knitting Pattern

Rowan Holm Cowl by Martin Storey

What is Being Made

The Holm Cowl is a knitted neck warmer designed to be worn as a close-fitting cowl around the shoulders and neck. This downloadable knitting pattern produces a finished cowl measuring 67 centimeters (26 inches) in circumference and 27 centimeters (10½ inches) in depth. The project uses 200 grams of yarn total and is suitable for knitters with intermediate skill levels.

Techniques Used

This cowl is worked in the round using circular needles, which creates a seamless tubular fabric. The construction follows a bottom-up approach, beginning with a cast-on edge at the lower edge and working upward to the top. Cable techniques form the primary decorative element, with cables crossed at regular intervals throughout the pattern to create visual texture and interest.

Stitches and Stitch Pattern

The Holm Cowl employs several fundamental knitting stitches and techniques:

• Ribbed edging: The cowl begins and ends with a knit-purl rib pattern (P1, K2, P2, K2 repeat), which provides elasticity and a neat finished edge
• Stockinette stitch: Knit rounds create smooth stockinette fabric between patterned sections
• Cable crosses: Two cable abbreviations are used—C6B (cable 6 back) and C6F (cable 6 front)—each involving slipping 3 stitches onto a cable needle, knitting 3 stitches, then knitting the held stitches. These create the characteristic twisted rope effect
• Pattern repeat: A 10-round pattern repeat forms the main body, alternating between knit and purl columns with cable crosses positioned strategically to create a balanced, symmetrical design

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Holm Cowl is designed to be worked in Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted, a durable wool yarn suitable for garments requiring regular washing. The pattern calls for 2 × 100 gram balls of yarn (photographed in the colorway Lagoon 186, though any color in this yarn weight may be substituted).

Two sizes of circular needles are required, both no more than 60 centimeters long to accommodate the in-the-round construction: a 3¾mm (US size 5, UK size 9) needle for the ribbed edging sections, and a 4½mm (US size 7, UK size 7) needle for the main patterned body. A cable needle is essential for executing the cable crosses. The pattern specifies a tension of 27 stitches and 33 rounds to 10 centimeters measured over pattern using the larger needle.