Valley Yarns Pringular Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Pringular Cowl

What Is Being Made

The Pringular is a classic slip-stitch colorwork cowl designed by Julie Turjoman that celebrates the timeless argyle pattern tradition popularized by Pringle of Scotland in the 1920s. This cozy neck warmer measures 10 inches in height with a 21-inch circumference, offering a one-size-fits-most garment perfect for adding vintage-inspired style to any wardrobe. The cowl serves as an accessible introduction to argyle colorwork techniques for knitters looking to expand their skill set.

Techniques Used

The Pringular employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive appearance:

• Worked in the round: Constructed seamlessly using circular needles, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a continuous tube
• Bottom-up construction: The cowl is built from the lower edge upward, allowing for easy adjustments to length
• Slip-stitch colorwork: A two-color technique that creates the argyle pattern by slipping stitches from previous color stripes, building dimensional design without carrying yarn across large sections
• Striped colorwork: Alternating rounds of main color and contrast color create the foundation for the lifted stitch pattern work

Stitches Used

The pattern incorporates fundamental and intermediate stitching techniques:

• Stockinette stitch: The base fabric created by alternating knit and purl rounds, providing a smooth, classic canvas for colorwork
• Left-leaning lifted stitch (LLS): A decorative stitch that picks up the lower loop of a purl ridge from a previous same-color stripe, then knits the next stitch and passes the picked-up stitch over it, creating a left-leaning diagonal line
• Right-leaning lifted stitch (RLS): The mirror technique to LLS, creating right-leaning diagonal lines by picking up stitches and passing them over newly knit stitches
• Knit and purl stitches: Basic stitches that form the structure and texture throughout
• Bind off: Used to secure the final stitches and finish the cowl edge

Materials

The Pringular requires minimal yardage and straightforward materials:

• Yarn: Two skeins of Valley Yarns Berkshire, a premium blend of 85% wool and 15% alpaca. The main color (MC) uses Color 33 in Olive, while the contrast color (CC) uses Color 1 in Cream. Each skein provides 100 grams and 141 yards, offering sufficient yardage for the complete cowl
• Needles: One size 9 (5.50 mm) circular needle measuring 16 inches in length, or the size needed to achieve proper gauge
• Notions: Stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 16 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in stockinette stitch using size 9 (5.50 mm) needles. Achieving this gauge is essential for the cowl to reach its finished measurements of 10 inches in height and 21 inches in circumference. The single-size design accommodates most adult neck sizes when worked to the specified gauge.

Difficulty Level

Rated as advanced beginner, the Pringular assumes knitters are comfortable with circular needle techniques and basic colorwork concepts. While the lifted stitch colorwork may be new to some crafters, the pattern provides clear instruction and the technique is introduced gradually through the rounds. The seamless, in-the-round construction and two-color stripe work build confidence before the more complex argyle pattern emerges through the lifted stitches.