Shoal Cowl Knitting Pattern

Shoal Cowl in Rowan Denim Revive

What is Being Made

The Shoal Cowl is a knitted cowl designed by Martin Storey for Rowan. This finished accessory measures 70 cm (27½ inches) all around and is 29 cm (11½ inches) deep, making it a substantial neck warmer suitable for layering or wearing as a statement piece.

Skill Level and Difficulty

This pattern is rated at intermediate skill level, making it suitable for knitters who have mastered basic techniques and are ready to explore more complex colorwork methods.

Techniques Used

The Shoal Cowl employs fairisle technique as its primary colorwork method. Fairisle is a traditional stranding technique where unused yarn colors are carried across the wrong side of the work, creating a reversible fabric with floats on the back. The pattern begins and ends with two-color ribbing worked in alternating knit and purl stitches, which provides structure and elasticity at the edges. The main body of the cowl is worked entirely in stockinette stitch (knitting every round), which creates a smooth, flat surface that showcases the fairisle pattern effectively.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (K): Forms the stockinette stitch base of the main cowl body
• Purl stitch (P): Used in the two-color ribbing sections at cast-on and cast-off edges
• Two-color rib: Created by alternating knit and purl stitches in contrasting colors, worked for 4 cm at both the beginning and end of the cowl
• Fairisle patterning: A 14-stitch pattern repeat worked 12 times around each round, repeated over 52 rounds to create the main colorwork design

Materials and Construction

The Shoal Cowl is knitted using Rowan Denim Revive yarn in two colors: Darkness (color 217) and Silt (color 216), with 2 x 50gm of each color required. The pattern is worked on circular needles, which are essential for knitting in the round. Two needle sizes are used: a 3¼mm (US 3) circular needle no more than 50 cm long for the ribbed sections, and a 3¾mm (US 5) circular needle no more than 50 cm long for the main fairisle body. The shorter needle length prevents stitches from spreading and ensures even tension when working a circumferential piece.

Pattern Structure and Gauge

The pattern is worked in continuous rounds from a cast-on of 168 stitches. After casting on with the smaller needles, the first 4 cm is worked in two-color rib to establish a finished edge. The needle is then changed to the larger size for the fairisle section, which comprises 52 rounds of patterning. The 14-stitch repeat is repeated 12 times around each round, creating a balanced, all-over design. After completing the fairisle rounds, the cowl returns to the smaller needles for a final 4 cm of two-color ribbing before casting off. The recommended tension is 24 stitches and 25 rounds to 10 cm when measured over the pattern using the 3¾mm needles.

Finishing

The completed cowl is pressed according to standard knitting finishing instructions to even out the stitches and set the fairisle pattern. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF from Rowan and is identified as design ZB296-00011-UK.