Valley Yarns Camassia Cowl Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Camassia Cowl

What Is Being Made

The Camassia Cowl is a seamless, tubular neck accessory designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This cowl measures 40 inches around and 11 inches tall, making it a versatile piece suitable for layering or wearing as a traditional cowl. The finished garment is reversible and works equally well on either side, providing flexibility in styling.

Techniques Used

This project employs several key knitting techniques that make it ideal for advanced beginners looking to build their skills:

• Bottom-up construction: The cowl is worked from the cast-on edge upward to the finished height, allowing you to try on the piece as you progress and adjust the final length as desired.
• Seamless, worked in the round: Using circular needles, the cowl is knitted continuously in rounds without requiring seaming, creating a smooth, professional finish with no interruption in the stitch pattern.
• Slipped-stitch garter rib pattern: This textured stitch combines knit rounds with patterned rounds featuring slipped stitches and purls, creating a flat, supple fabric that drapes beautifully.

Stitches Used

The Camassia Cowl uses a straightforward stitch vocabulary:

• Knit (K): The foundation stitch, worked on alternating rounds to create the garter texture.
• Purl (P): Combined with slipped stitches in the pattern rounds to add visual interest and texture.
• Slip 1 (Sl1): Stitches are slipped as if to purl with yarn held in back, creating a neat, decorative effect that contributes to the fabric's flat, reversible quality.

The pattern repeats a simple two-round sequence throughout: a full knit round followed by a patterned round of *slip 1, purl 3* repeated across all stitches.

Materials

This project requires specific materials to achieve the intended finished fabric:

• Yarn: 2 skeins of Valley Yarns Northfield Hand-Dyed in the colorway Hyacinth. This yarn is composed of 70% Merino wool, 20% baby alpaca, and 10% silk, offering a blend of warmth, softness, and subtle sheen. Each skein provides 248 yards at 100 grams, giving a total of 496 yards for the project.
• Needles: US size 8 (5.00mm) circular needles, 32 inches in length, or whatever size is needed to achieve proper gauge. The 32-inch length accommodates the 200 cast-on stitches comfortably for working in the round.

Gauge and Finishing

The pattern calls for approximately 5 stitches per 1 inch in the stitch pattern, though exact gauge is noted as not critically important for this project. This flexibility makes the cowl forgiving for knitters still developing consistent tension. After completing the 11-inch height, all loose ends are sewn in and the piece is blocked to set the stitches and enhance the drape of the hand-dyed yarn.