Valley Yarns Dorset Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Dorset Cowl: Stranded Colorwork Knitting Pattern

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Dorset is a seamless, tubular cowl designed by Julie Turjoman that combines warmth with sophisticated colorwork appeal. This intermediate-level knitting project creates a neck warmer featuring an Art Deco jewelry-inspired stranded pattern. The cowl is available in two finished lengths: a Short version measuring 11 inches in height by 36 inches in circumference, and a Long version at 11 inches in height by 44 inches in circumference. The longer size wraps twice around the wearer's neck for enhanced coziness and versatile styling options.

Techniques Used

This cowl is worked entirely in the round on circular needles, creating a seamless construction with no seaming required. The primary technique featured is stranded colorwork, also known as Fair Isle knitting, which involves carrying multiple yarn colors across the inside of the fabric to create the pattern on the surface. The design incorporates a bottom-up construction, beginning with a cast-on edge and working upward to the bind-off. The pattern uses strategic stitch markers to track repeats and maintain pattern accuracy throughout the 57-round colorwork section. Careful float management is essential, particularly on rounds with long runs of the main color; the pattern specifically notes that rounds 8, 25, 33, and 50 require wrapping long floats on the wrong side at regular intervals to prevent snagging and ensure a durable, professional finish.

Stitches Used

The Dorset cowl employs a limited but effective stitch vocabulary appropriate for intermediate knitters. The borders feature k1/p1 ribbing (alternating knit and purl stitches in single-stitch increments), which appears in eight rounds at the cast-on edge and eight rounds before the bind-off to create elasticity and structure. The main body utilizes stockinette stitch in the stranded colorwork sections, which provides a smooth, flat canvas for the four-color pattern to shine. All stitches are bound off in pattern, meaning the final round maintains the k1/p1 rib structure for a finished, professional edge.

Materials and Yarn

The pattern calls for Valley Yarns Worthington, a premium blend yarn composed of 50% wool, 25% alpaca, and 25% viscose. This fiber combination delivers both durability and softness while adding casual texture to the finished cowl. The yarn is worked at a gauge of 22 stitches and 28 rounds per 4 inches in stranded colorwork stockinette stitch when blocked. Four colors are required: the main color (MC) uses 2 balls of Worthington in Color 07 - Black, while three contrast colors (CC1, CC2, and CC3) each require 1 ball in Color 14 - Orchid, Color 10 - Marine Blue, and Color 01 - Oatmeal respectively. Each ball contains 50 grams and 174 yards of yarn.

Needles and Additional Materials

Construction requires US size 6 (4.0 mm) circular needles measuring 32 inches in length, or the size necessary to achieve the specified gauge. Additional materials include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and marking the beginning of rounds, and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends during finishing. The pattern recommends using the Cable cast-on method to begin the cowl.

Pattern Structure and Construction Notes

The cowl begins with a cable cast-on of 200 stitches for the Short size or 240 stitches for the Long size. After carefully joining to work in the round without twisting, knitters work eight rounds of k1/p1 ribbing to establish the lower border. One plain knit round follows before transitioning to the stranded colorwork pattern, which spans 57 rounds and forms the visual centerpiece of the design. The colorwork section is flanked by k1/p1 ribbed borders, with the upper border consisting of eight rounds worked after the final colorwork round. The pattern is structured with 20-stitch repeats marked with stitch markers to assist knitters in tracking their progress through the complex color changes. This intermediate project rewards careful attention to float management and pattern reading with a sophisticated, wearable accessory suitable for fall and winter layering.