Valley Yarns Vela Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Vela Cowl: Slip-Stitch Colorwork Design

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Vela is a shaped cowl designed by Julie Turjoman, featuring a sophisticated three-color slip-stitch colorwork pattern. This neckwear piece is engineered to drape elegantly onto the chest while fitting more closely at the neck, combining both comfort and classic design principles. The cowl measures 11 inches in height with a 20-inch circumference at the top and 26 inches at the hem, making it a one-size garment suitable for various wearers.

Techniques Used

This advanced beginner project employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its finished design:

• Slip-Stitch Colorwork: The primary technique featured in this pattern, slip-stitch colorwork allows knitters to work with multiple colors while carrying unused yarn colors up the wrong side of the work. This method is less complex than stranded colorwork, making it ideal for those practicing color techniques.
• Seamless Construction: The cowl is worked entirely in the round using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, continuous fabric.
• Bottom-Up Construction: The piece begins at the hem and is worked upward toward the neckline, allowing knitters to try on the garment as it progresses.
• Decrease Shaping: Strategic decreases narrow the piece from the wider hem (26 inches) to the fitted neck opening (20 inches), creating the distinctive silhouette that allows the cowl to drape while staying secure at the neckline.
• Stripes and Color Transitions: The pattern incorporates alternating color rounds that create visual interest while practicing color management techniques.

Stitches Used

The Vela pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined with colorwork elements:

• Stockinette Stitch: The base fabric structure for the colorwork sections.
• Reverse Stockinette Stitch: Used for the hem edge, which creates a rolled edge detail on the wrong side of the piece.
• Slip Stitches: The defining stitch technique, worked in conjunction with the three-color pattern repeats. Slip stitches allow colors to be carried without being actively worked in every round, reducing bulk and complexity.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Vela pattern calls for Valley Yarns Granville, a premium yarn blend composed of 90% Pima Cotton and 10% Merino Wool. Each hank weighs 50 grams and provides 167 yards of yardage. Three colors are required:

• Color A: Silver (1 hank)
• Color B: Kelp (1 hank)
• Color C: Dark Teal (1 hank)

The cotton-wool blend offers an ideal balance of warmth and breathability, making this cowl suitable for layering on blustery days without excessive bulk. The fiber content provides structure for the colorwork while maintaining drape.

Two sizes of 16-inch circular needles are required to accommodate gauge changes across different pattern sections:

• US Size 5 (3.75 mm) circular needles: Used for Patterns 1 and 2, achieving a gauge of 26 stitches and 32 rounds over 4 inches when blocked.
• US Size 7 (4.5 mm) circular needles: Used for Pattern 3, achieving a gauge of 26 stitches and 32 rounds over 4 inches when blocked.

Additional materials include a stitch marker to indicate the beginning of rounds and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends.

Pattern Overview and Construction Details

The Vela begins with a long-tail cast-on of 168 stitches using the smaller needles and Color B. After joining to work in the round, knitters switch to Color A and work three rounds of reverse stockinette stitch to create a rolled hem edge. The pattern then progresses through three distinct slip-stitch colorwork sections, with colors alternating in two-round sequences. Unused yarn colors are carried up the wrong side of the work, with strands twisted at the beginning of rounds to prevent holes and maintain fabric integrity. The decrease shaping gradually reduces the stitch count from the initial 168 stit