Skacel Candleholder Cowl Knitting Pattern

Skacel Candleholder Cowl

What is Being Made

The Candleholder Cowl is a charming, seamless cowl designed by The Skacel Design Team. This cowl features a sampler construction with varied stitch patterns and techniques, creating an engaging and rhythmic knitting experience. The finished cowl measures 11 inches in height and 26 inches in circumference, making it a versatile accessory suitable for transitional seasons. The design is approachable for all skill levels, combining fundamental knitting techniques with more distinctive stitch work to create visual interest and texture.

Techniques Used

This cowl is constructed using several key knitting techniques that work together to create its distinctive character:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The cowl is worked from the bottom edge upward, allowing knitters to easily adjust the final height if desired.
• Seamless, Worked-in-the-Round: Using circular needles, the cowl is knitted continuously in the round without seaming, creating a smooth, professional finish with no visible seams.
• Lace Stitches: Simple lace patterns are incorporated throughout the design to add elegance and visual texture while maintaining accessibility for knitters of varying experience levels.
• Alternating Cable Cast-On: The pattern begins with an Alternating Cable Cast-On technique, which creates a sturdy, attractive foundation edge suitable for a cowl that will frame the neck.
• Broken Rib Stitch: After the cast-on, knitters work in Broken Rib Stitch for the first inch, providing structure and elasticity at the lower edge.

Stitches Used

The Candleholder Cowl incorporates a variety of stitch patterns to create its sampler quality:

• Knit and Purl Stitches: Fundamental knit and purl stitches form the foundation of the design, creating texture through their combination.
• Broken Rib Stitch: Used in the initial section after cast-on, this stitch combines knits and purls to create vertical lines with subtle texture.
• Stockinette Stitch: The gauge is measured in Stockinette Stitch, indicating this smooth, classic stitch appears in the cowl's construction.
• Simple Lace Stitches: The pattern features uncomplicated lace stitches that create openwork sections, adding visual interest without overwhelming newer knitters.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Candleholder Cowl is designed to be completed with a single cake of yarn, making it an efficient and economical project:

• Yarn: Madrona by HiKoo®, Color #1406 Sound Seaways. This yarn is a luxurious blend containing 30% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino Wool, 20% Bamboo Viscose, and 20% Nylon. One 460-yard cake at 100 grams provides sufficient yardage for the entire cowl. This fiber blend offers softness, breathability, and durability, making it ideal for a neck accessory worn across multiple seasons.
• Needles: The pattern requires two sizes of skacel by addi® circular needles, each 20 inches in length. The smaller needle is 2.5mm (approximately US 1 size) for the cast-on and initial ribbed section. The larger needle is 3.25mm (approximately US 3 size) for the main body of the cowl. Circular needles enable seamless, in-the-round knitting and allow for easy stitch marker placement.
• Additional Notions: Up to 14 stitch markers (with 1 unique marker for marking the beginning of round), a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, and scissors.

Gauge and Finished Measurements

The pattern specifies a gauge of 24 stitches by 36 rows over 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch, worked on the larger 3.25mm needle. The finished cowl measures 11 inches in height and 26 inches in circumference after blocking, creating a cowl that drapes elegantly around the neck and provides warmth without excessive bulk.

Pattern Format

The Candleholder Cowl pattern is provided in a downloadable PDF format that includes both written instructions and charted instructions. Charts are located on page 3 of the pattern document, offering visual knitters