Valley Yarns Midnight Marigold Cowl Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Midnight Marigold Cowl

Project Overview

The Midnight Marigold Cowl is a seamless, stranded colorwork cowl designed by Deborah Tomasello. This intermediate-level knitting project features a stunning two-color pattern worked entirely in the round, creating a sophisticated accessory with versatile styling options. The finished cowl measures approximately 6 inches wide and 40 inches around, making it suitable for layering or wearing as a traditional cowl.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a cowl—a circular neckwear accessory—with the unique feature of being convertible into either a traditional cowl shape or a Möbius strip. The design is worked lengthwise in the round, and the final construction involves grafting the live stitches to the cast-on edge with an intentional twist to create the Möbius variation if desired. The cowl can be worn as a standard cowl or transformed into a Möbius by incorporating a single twist in the fabric during finishing.

Techniques Used

• Seamless Construction: The cowl is worked entirely in the round using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming during the main knitting process.
• Stranded Colorwork: The pattern employs stranded knitting techniques, where two colors are carried across the back of the work to create the colorwork design. This method allows for intricate patterning while maintaining fabric integrity.
• Worked in the Round: Using a 16-inch circular needle, stitches are joined and worked continuously in rounds rather than flat rows, creating a seamless tube.
• Charted Pattern Reading: The colorwork directions are provided in chart format, allowing knitters to follow the pattern visually rather than through written instructions.
• Grafting: The finishing technique involves grafting live stitches to the cast-on edge, a method that creates an invisible seam and allows for the optional Möbius twist construction.
• Wet Blocking: Steam blocking with a damp cloth is used to set the colorwork pattern and ensure crisp, straight edges.

Stitches Used

• Knit Stitch (k): The primary stitch throughout the cowl, worked in both colors as directed by the colorwork charts.
• Stranded Colorwork Stitches: The pattern alternates between Marigold (color A) and Midnight (color B) using the stranded technique, where unused colors are carried loosely across the back of the work.

Materials and Specifications

Yarn: The pattern calls for Valley Yarns BFL Fingering Hand-dyed yarn, which is 100% Blue Faced Leicester wool. One 100-gram skein in each of two colors—Marigold (color A) and Midnight (color B)—is required. Each skein provides 416 yards, offering ample yardage for the 40-inch circumference cowl.

Needles: A US size 3 (3.25mm) 16-inch circular needle is specified, or a needle size adjusted to achieve the correct gauge. The 16-inch length is ideal for working the 104 cast-on stitches in the round without excessive needle length.

Additional Materials: Stitch markers are needed to mark pattern repeats and the join point in the round.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern is designed to achieve a gauge of approximately 32 stitches and 32 rounds over 4 inches when working the colorwork pattern. This gauge is essential for achieving the finished dimensions of 6 inches wide and 40 inches around. Knitters should swatch and adjust needle size as necessary to match this gauge before beginning the project.

Pattern Structure

The cowl begins with casting on 52 stitches, placing a marker, and casting on 52 additional stitches for a total of 104 stitches joined in the round. The pattern is organized into two charts—Chart A and Chart B—which are repeated across each round. The main pattern consists of 26 rounds that are repeated until the piece reaches the desired length of 40 inches or longer. The pattern is worked until completing a full round 26 to ensure pattern alignment before finishing.

Finishing Process

After knitting is complete, the yarn is cut and the live stitches are grafted to the cast-on edge. During this grafting process, a single twist can be intentionally incorporated into the fabric to transform the cowl into a