Valley Yarns Hoarfrost Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Hoarfrost Cowl

What is Being Made

The Hoarfrost is a close-fitting knit cowl designed to provide warmth and style for winter wear. With a finished circumference of 20 inches and height of 9 inches, this cowl is intended to be worn snugly around the neck under jackets or as a standalone accessory. The design showcases a classic ladder slip stitch pattern that creates visual texture and interest, making it suitable as a gift or personal wardrobe staple.

Knitting Techniques

This cowl is constructed using several key knitting techniques that make it an excellent beginner project:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The cowl is worked from the cast-on edge upward, allowing knitters to try on the piece as it grows and adjust fit if needed.
• Seamless, Worked in the Round: Knit entirely in the round using a circular needle, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, continuous fabric. This technique contributes to the cowl's comfortable, close-fitting design around the neck.
• Stripes: The pattern incorporates two-color striping, with the contrast color changing every 2 rounds throughout the slip stitch pattern section. This creates visual depth and emphasizes the texture of the stitches.

Stitches Used

The Hoarfrost pattern employs a limited stitch vocabulary appropriate for beginner knitters:

• Knit Stitch (K): The fundamental stitch used throughout the ribbed edges and slip stitch pattern.
• Purl Stitch (P): Used in the ribbed top and bottom edges to create texture and definition.
• Slip Stitch (Sl): The signature stitch of this design, worked with yarn held in back to create the ladder slip stitch pattern. All slipped stitches are worked as if to purl, which is a standard technique for creating neat, even slip stitches. This stitch is repeated throughout the main body of the cowl in a 4-round pattern, worked 11 times with color changes, then once more to complete the design.
• Ribbed Edges: Both the top and bottom edges feature a knit-purl ribbing (K1, P2 repeat) that provides stretch and a finished appearance. The ribbed bottom edge is worked over 6 rounds, and the ribbed top edge is also worked over 6 rounds before binding off.

Materials

Yarn: The Hoarfrost is designed to showcase Valley Yarns Monadnock, a luxurious 100% cashmere yarn. The pattern requires two balls of this yarn—one in the main color and one in a contrasting color. Each ball weighs 50 grams and provides 122 yards of yardage. Two color combinations are suggested: Coral (0163) paired with Mahogany (0493), or Midnight (1225) paired with Grass (2884). The pattern notes recommend using two colors with high contrast to maximize the visual impact of the slip stitch pattern.

Needles and Notions: The pattern calls for US 8 (5.00 mm) 16-inch circular needles, or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge. Additional materials include stitch markers to track pattern repeats and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends during finishing. The pattern references the Old Norwegian Cast-on as a stretchy method for the initial cast-on, and recommends a stretchy bind-off method such as the sewn bind-off to ensure the top edge remains elastic.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern is designed in one size with finished measurements of 20 inches in circumference and 9 inches in height. The specified gauge is 17 stitches and 24 rounds over 4 inches when worked in the slip stitch pattern and blocked. A total of 84 stitches are cast on to achieve this circumference. The cowl measures approximately 8½ inches from the cast-on edge before the ribbed top edge is added, and is designed to fit close to the neck for maximum warmth and comfort.

Skill Level and Finishing

Rated as a beginner project, the Hoarfrost introduces knitters to working in the round, slip stitch patterning, and color changes while maintaining a straightforward construction. Finishing is minimal: ends are woven in using the tapestry needle, and the piece is gently steamed or misted to block, which helps even out the stitches and set the pattern.