Valley Yarns Waffle Stitch Cowl Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Waffle Stitch Cowl

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Waffle Stitch Cowl is a super bulky neck accessory designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This cozy cowl measures approximately 40 inches long and 10 inches wide, making it a generous, wrap-style garment perfect for layering. The pattern offers versatility in construction methods, allowing knitters to choose between a seamless in-the-round version or a flat, worked-in-rows version that can be seamed or left unseamed as a short, wide scarf.

Techniques Used

This beginner-friendly pattern incorporates multiple construction techniques to suit different knitting preferences:

• Seamless construction: The cowl can be worked seamlessly in the round using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a continuous tube.
• Flat construction: Alternatively, the pattern can be worked flat in rows and then seamed together, or left unseamed for a different silhouette.
• Seaming: The flat version requires seaming the edges closed to form the cowl shape, with an option to block the finished piece for a polished appearance.

Stitches Used

The waffle stitch creates the signature thick, fluffy honeycomb texture that defines this cowl. The stitch pattern is built on fundamental knitting stitches and is worked over a four-row repeat:

• Knit stitch (k): The primary stitch used throughout the pattern.
• Purl stitch (p): Used to create textural contrast in rows 1 and 3 of the pattern repeat.
• Knit in the row below: A key technique that creates the dimensional waffle texture by inserting the needle into the stitch in the previous row rather than the current row, building up the characteristic bumpy, honeycomb appearance.
• Slip stitch (sl1): Used at the beginning of rows in the flat version for a neat edge finish.

The four-row repeat alternates between purl rows and knit rows, with the waffle texture created by strategically knitting into stitches from the row below. This creates the thick, fluffy texture that makes the cowl exceptionally cozy and visually interesting.

Materials

The Valley Yarns Waffle Stitch Cowl is designed to showcase the qualities of premium yarn held at double thickness:

• Yarn: Four skeins of Valley Yarns Valley Superwash Bulky, held together as two strands throughout the project. The yarn is 100% Extrafine Merino Superwash, with each skein weighing 100 grams and providing 109 yards. The pattern specifies color 20 Light Gray, though the design works beautifully with any color choice.
• Needles: US size 13 (9.00mm) circular needles measuring 32 inches in length. For the flat version, these same needles are used to work back and forth in rows.
• Gauge: Approximately 2 stitches equal 1 inch when worked in the waffle stitch pattern, resulting in the generous 40-inch circumference and 10-inch width.

The use of two strands of super-soft Valley Superwash Bulky held together creates an exceptionally thick, cushy fabric that enhances the waffle stitch's dimensional texture. The superwash treatment makes this cowl easy to care for, as it can be machine washed without felting.

Pattern Overview

This beginner-level pattern is straightforward and accessible to knitters new to textured stitches. Both the seamless and flat versions begin with loosely casting on 80 stitches and follow the same four-row repeat until the piece reaches the desired 10-inch width. The pattern emphasizes loose tension during cast-on and bind-off to ensure the edges remain flexible and comfortable against the neck. Finishing involves seaming the edges closed (for the flat version) and sewing in ends, with optional blocking for a refined appearance.