Shibui Knits Mix No. Cowl Knitting Pattern

Shibui Knits Mix No. 23 Cowl

What Is Being Made

The Shibui Knits Mix No. 23 is a luxurious double-knit cowl designed by Lidia Tsymbal. This seamless, worked-in-the-round cowl features broad contrasting stripes that meet to form striking chevron points, creating a modern geometric design. With a finished circumference of 36 inches and height of 10 inches, this cowl offers a versatile accessory suitable for both soft neutral colorways and vibrant bright combinations.

Techniques Used

This project employs intarsia and double-knit construction methods to create a reversible fabric with color work on both sides. The cowl is worked seamlessly in the round using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming. The double-knit technique involves working with two colors simultaneously, with each square in the charted pattern representing 2 stitches—one on the facing side and one on the reverse side. Yarn management is critical: when knitting stitches on the facing side, both colors are held at the back of work; when purling facing-side stitches or knitting reverse-side stitches, the facing yarn is at front and reverse yarn at back; and when purling reverse-side stitches, both colors are held at the front. This careful color placement prevents tangling and ensures proper stitch formation throughout the project.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch structure is double-knit reverse stockinette stitch worked in the round. The pattern begins with a setup round using kfb (knit front and back) increases to double the cast-on stitches from 200 to 400 stitches. The charted rounds then alternate between knit and purl stitches in specific color sequences to build the intarsia chevron pattern. The double-knit construction means each visible stitch is paired with a corresponding stitch on the reverse side, creating the dense, reversible fabric characteristic of this technique.

Materials

This pattern calls for Shibui Cima yarn, a blend of 70% superbaby alpaca and 30% fine merino wool. The yarn is worked double throughout the project—held with 2 strands together—to create the plush, dense fabric. The pattern requires 2 skeins of Color A and 2 skeins of Color B (shown in Ivory and Caffeine), totaling 328 yards per 50 grams. Knitting is worked on Size 5 (3.75 mm) circular needles measuring 32 inches long, with a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows equaling 4 inches in double-knit reverse stockinette stitch when worked with 2 strands held together and blocked. This is classified as an Experienced skill level project, making it an excellent introduction to double knitting for advanced knitters.