Valley Yarns Orla Cowl Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Orla Cowl: Seamless Knit Cowl with Seed Stitch and Stripes

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Orla Cowl, designed by Kirsten Hipsky, is a seamless circular cowl that measures approximately 40 inches around and 10 inches wide. This cowl combines seed stitch texture with a three-color striping pattern to create visual interest while remaining beginner-friendly. The finished piece is worked entirely in the round without seaming, making it an ideal project for knitters new to circular knitting techniques.

Techniques Used

This cowl is constructed using seamless, in-the-round knitting, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates a continuous, polished fabric. The pattern employs stripes created by changing yarn colors at regular intervals throughout the project. A key technical detail is the use of an odd number of cast-on stitches (161 stitches) to prevent the common "jog" that occurs when working striped patterns in the round, ensuring an unbroken visual flow of the seed stitch pattern around the entire circumference. A stitch marker is used to clearly identify the beginning of each round, helping you track color changes and maintain pattern consistency.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch throughout the Orla Cowl is seed stitch, which is created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a checkerboard pattern. Specifically, the pattern alternates between two rounds: one round of k1, p1 repeats and one round of p1, k1 repeats. This simple two-row repeat creates the characteristic bumpy, textured appearance of seed stitch. The cowl begins and ends with seed stitch worked in the main color (color A), with two-round stripes of contrasting colors (colors B and C) worked in between. All stitches are bound off loosely at the completion of the project.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Orla Cowl is knit using Valley Yarns Southwick, a yarn blend composed of 52% Pima Cotton and 48% Bamboo. One skein each of three colors is required: 04 Blue Lapis (color A), 13 Iguana (color B), and 17 Silver (color C). Each skein weighs 50 grams and provides 105 yards of yardage. The project calls for US size 9 (5.50mm) circular needles measuring 32 inches in length, or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge. The recommended gauge is 4 stitches and 6 rows per 1 inch when measured in seed stitch, ensuring the finished cowl will be the correct dimensions. After knitting, loose ends are sewn in, and the cowl may be lightly blocked if desired for a polished finish.