Valley Yarns Litchfield Cowl Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Litchfield Cowl – Fall in New England Collection

What is Being Made

The Litchfield is a long, luxurious cowl designed by Julie Turjoman as part of the Fall in New England collection. This accessory measures 5 inches tall with a generous 47-inch circumference, making it ideal for wrapping around the neck multiple times during cold weather. The pattern is presented as a downloadable PDF and is suitable for knitters of all skill levels, classified as a beginner project.

Techniques Used

This cowl is constructed using seamless, in-the-round knitting on circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming. The piece is worked as a single continuous tube from cast-on to bind-off. The design incorporates garter stitch borders at both the beginning and end of the cowl, which frame the central textured field. These narrow borders provide a polished, finished edge while the body showcases a repeating knit-purl texture pattern that creates subtle visual and tactile interest without requiring advanced stitch techniques.

Stitches Used

The Litchfield pattern employs straightforward, foundational stitches accessible to beginner knitters:

• Knit stitch (K) – the primary stitch forming the base of the fabric
• Purl stitch (P) – used in combination with knits to create texture
• Garter stitch – created by alternating purl and knit rounds, forming the top and bottom borders
• Texture stitch pattern – a four-round repeat working on a multiple of four stitches, alternating between purl-knit pairs and knit-purl pairs with solid knit rounds in between, producing a subtle raised texture without complexity

Materials

The Litchfield calls for Valley Yarns Brodie, a lightweight luxury yarn composed of 95% cashmere and 5% extrafine merino wool. Two 50-gram balls, each containing 154 yards, provide the 200 cast-on stitches and sufficient yardage for the full 47-inch circumference. The recommended color is 218 – Denim. Knitting is worked on US size 6 (4.00 mm) circular needles measuring 32 to 40 inches in length, with a gauge of 17 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches in the knit-purl texture stitch when blocked. Additional materials include a stitch marker to denote the beginning of each round and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends during finishing.

Pattern Overview

The construction begins with a cable cast-on or other stretchy method to create 200 stitches, which are then joined to work in the round without twisting. A narrow garter stitch border of four rounds (two purl, two knit, repeated once) establishes the top edge. The main field follows, worked in the four-round texture stitch pattern, continuing until the piece measures approximately 4 inches from the cast-on edge. A matching garter stitch border mirrors the opening, and all stitches are bound off loosely knitwise. After weaving in ends, the finished cowl is blocked to final measurements, resulting in a soft, textured accessory that showcases the luxurious cashmere-merino blend.