Swans Island Still Waters Cowl Knitting Pattern

Swans Island Still Waters Cowl

What Is Being Made

The Still Waters Cowl is an easy-to-knit double loop cowl designed by the Swans Island Design Team. This seamless, bottom-up knit project creates a generous cowl with a finished circumference of 50 inches and a height of 14½ inches, making it suitable for wrapping twice around the neck for warmth and style.

Knitting Techniques

This cowl is constructed using several key knitting techniques that make it an accessible project for knitters of various skill levels:

• Bottom-up construction: The cowl is worked from the cast-on edge upward, allowing you to easily adjust the length as you knit.
• Seamless, worked in the round: Using a circular needle, the entire cowl is knitted in continuous rounds without seaming, creating a smooth, polished finish.
• Lace patterning: An eyelet pattern is incorporated throughout the body of the cowl, adding visual interest and texture while maintaining an airy quality.

Stitches Used

The Still Waters Cowl employs fundamental knitting stitches combined into a repeating eyelet motif:

• Knit stitch (k): The primary stitch forming the stockinette base of the cowl.
• Purl stitch (p): Used in the set-up and finishing rounds to create a textured edge.
• Yarn over (yo): Creates the decorative holes characteristic of the eyelet pattern.
• Knit two together (k2tog): A decrease stitch paired with yarn overs to maintain stitch count while forming the lace design.
• Eyelet Pattern: A 16-round repeating pattern that alternates between solid knit rounds and rounds featuring yarn overs and decreases, creating an elegant openwork design.

Materials and Specifications

The Still Waters Cowl is designed to be worked with specific materials to achieve the intended drape and gauge:

• Yarn: 2 skeins of Swans Island Natural Colors Collection 100% Organic Merino Wool in fingering weight (100 grams and 525 yards per skein). The pattern shown features the Ikat colorway in a Special Edition.
• Needles: US Size 5 (3.75mm) circular needle, 29 inches in length, or the size needed to obtain proper gauge.
• Notions: Stitch marker for marking the beginning of rounds and a yarn needle for weaving in ends.
• Gauge: 6½ stitches and 9 rounds equal 1 inch when worked in stockinette stitch. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished cowl meets the desired dimensions.

Pattern Construction Details

The cowl begins with casting on 324 stitches and joining for rounds. A set-up round of alternating knit and purl stitches creates a finished edge. The main body consists of repeating the 16-round eyelet pattern eight times or until the piece measures approximately 14½ inches from the cast-on edge. The pattern is designed to end after either round 7 or round 15 of the eyelet sequence to maintain visual consistency. A final round of alternating knit and purl stitches mirrors the set-up round before binding off all stitches. Finishing involves weaving in loose ends and gently steaming or wet blocking to the specified measurements for a polished, professional appearance.