Valley Yarns Nemi Lace Cowl Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Nemi Lace Cowl

What is Being Made

The Nemi Lace Cowl is a sophisticated knitted cowl designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This garment measures 48 inches around and 10 inches wide, making it a generous neckwear piece suitable for layering or wearing as a statement accessory. The cowl is worked in a single continuous piece, creating an elegant drape and seamless construction.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level project employs seamless, in-the-round knitting on circular needles, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates a polished, professional finish. The design features extensive lace work throughout, utilizing yarn overs and strategic decreases to create openwork patterns. The construction begins with a cast-on of 160 stitches joined in the round, with careful attention paid to avoiding twists in the foundation.

The lace pattern is built through a series of repeating rounds that combine yarn overs (yo) with various decrease techniques including knit two together (k2tog), slip-slip-knit (ssk), and slip-one-knit-two-together-pass-slipped-stitch-over (sl1-k2tog-psso) decreases. These techniques create balanced eyelet holes and decorative decreases that form the characteristic lace motifs. The pattern includes a marker shift technique in Round 14 to adjust the stitch pattern alignment as the design progresses.

An optional beaded variation is provided, allowing crafters to incorporate beads into the yarn overs using a fine crochet hook, adding dimensional embellishment to the lace openwork.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k): The fundamental stitch forming the base fabric
• Purl (p): Used in the opening rounds to create texture contrast
• Yarn over (yo): Creates the characteristic eyelets and openwork of the lace pattern
• Knit two together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used throughout the lace motifs
• Slip-slip-knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease that balances the k2tog decreases
• Slip-one-knit-two-together-pass-slipped-stitch-over (sl1-k2tog-psso): A centered double decrease creating dramatic lace effects
• Stockinette stitch: The base fabric in which gauge is measured

Materials and Specifications

The Nemi Lace Cowl is worked using Valley Yarns Charlemont, a premium blend yarn containing 60% fine superwash merino, 20% mulberry silk, and 20% polyamide. One skein provides 439 yards at 100 grams, offering sufficient yardage for the complete project. The yarn is worked in the Dark Olive colorway, which provides elegant contrast to showcase the lace pattern detail.

Needles required include US size 6 (4.0 mm) circular needles measuring 24 inches in length, or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge. A stitch marker is essential for tracking the beginning of each round during the seamless construction. The recommended gauge is 20 stitches and 28 rows per 4 inches measured in stockinette stitch, ensuring proper drape and finished dimensions.

Finishing

After completing all pattern rounds and binding off stitches loosely, the cowl requires careful finishing. All loose yarn ends are sewn in securely, and the piece is blocked rigorously to the desired measurements, which helps set the lace pattern and ensures even dimensions across the finished cowl.