Valley Yarns Curvaceous Cowl Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Curvaceous Cowl by Vickie Howell

What is Being Made

The Curvaceous Cowl is a seamless knitted cowl neck accessory designed by Vickie Howell. This finished piece measures 28 inches in circumference and 14 inches in height, making it a generous, versatile neckwear option suitable for layering over jackets or wearing as a standalone statement piece.

Techniques Used

This advanced beginner knitting project incorporates several intermediate techniques that build essential skills:

• Seamless Construction: The cowl is worked in the round using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a smooth, continuous fabric
• Cable Work: The design features two primary cable crosses—3/2 Right Purl Cross (3/2 RPC) and 3/2 Left Purl Cross (3/2 LPC)—which create the signature curved, dimensional texture throughout the body
• Bobble Stitches: Strategic bobble stitches (MB) are incorporated into the pattern for added textural interest and visual complexity
• Seed Stitch Panels: Alternating seed stitch sections provide textural contrast and help define the overall design structure

Stitches Used

The pattern employs a focused selection of fundamental and intermediate stitches:

• Knit and Purl: The foundation stitches used throughout the stockinette stitch base and seed stitch panels
• Cable Crosses (3/2 RPC and 3/2 LPC): These cable maneuvers require slipping stitches to a cable needle, holding them in front or back, and working stitches in a specific sequence to create the twisted, dimensional cable effect
• Bobble Stitch (MB): Created by knitting into the front and back of a stitch twice to increase to four stitches, then working rows on those stitches before decreasing back to one stitch, creating a three-dimensional decorative bump
• Seed Stitch: An alternating knit and purl pattern worked in rounds that creates a textured, non-rolling fabric

Materials and Gauge

The Curvaceous Cowl is designed to be worked with Valley Yarns Valley Superwash Superbulky yarn in the colorway Boss Byzantine. The project requires 4 balls of yarn, with each ball containing 100 grams and 55 yards. This superbulky weight yarn is 100% superwash wool, offering both durability and easy care.

Construction requires a US size 13 (9.00mm) circular needle in either 20-inch or 24-inch length, depending on needle preference and hand size. A cable needle is essential for executing the cable crosses, and a tapestry needle is needed for weaving in yarn ends. The pattern is worked to a gauge of 2.5 stitches per 1 inch in stockinette stitch, which contributes to the fabric's substantial, cozy drape.

Pattern Structure

The cowl begins with a cast-on of 70 stitches joined in the round. A three-round seed stitch bottom band establishes the lower edge before transitioning into the main body. The body consists of 37 rounds of charted instructions, with the pattern repeat worked twice per round—28 stitches of cable and bobble patterning alternating with 7 stitches of seed stitch. This structure creates the characteristic curved shaping as the cable crosses progressively shift position throughout the rounds, forming the dynamic, undulating texture that gives the cowl its name.