Cowl

as worn, as square

I use ktbl for my ribbing, because it seems to give a tigher ribbing, and it also goes faster. Feel free to change the dimensions of the pattern to suit the intended wearer; the one pictured here had to be given to someone else and a new one made, as the original recipient felt it was just too tight. If you increase the number of stitches cast on, make sure you end up with a multiple of 4, and place your markers for the increase rounds at the quarter marks, or the increases will be not be spaced symmetrically#. Also, you may have to fudge the first row of the ruffle, if your final total number of sts is not evenly divisible by 3.)

Materials:

two 6-oz skeins each, Lion’s Homespun and a worsted weight yarn
size 13 24” circular needle (you can use dps for the neck, but you’ll need the circular once you start increasing, as there will be too many sts)
yarn needle

Gauge:

18 sts/14 rows=4” in ribbing
10.5 sts/15 rows=4” in garter stitch

Terms:

ktbl: knit through the back loop
kf&b: knit in front and back of st
kb&f: knit in back and front of st
pf&b: purl in front and back of st
pb&f: purl in back and front of st


Neck:

Cast on 52 sts, using one strand of each yarn held together. Join to work circularly, making sure not to twist work, and placing marker at beginning of round.

Round 1: *(Ktbl, p); repeat from * to end of round.

Repeat round 1 until neck measures 17”, or length from hairline in front to base of neck, going over the top of the head.

Collar:

Repeat Round 1 once more, placing markers every 13 sts. (52 sts)

Round 2: *Kf&b, k to 1 st before marker, kb&f of next st, slip marker; repeat from * to end of round. (60 sts)
Round 3: *Pf&b, p to 1 st before marker, pb&f of next st, slip marker; repeat from * to end of round. (68 sts)

Repeat rounds 2&3 for a total of 19 rounds, or length desired for collar, ending with a round 2. (204 sts)

Ruffle:

Round 4: *P3, yo twice; repeat from * to end of round.
Round 5: *K3, (k,p,k) in first yo, (p,k) in second yo; repeat from * to end of round.

Bind off loosely.

Finishing:

Weave in ends.

# To make the collar hexagonal, follow the pattern as written, with the following changes: cast on 54 sts (or some other multiple of 6), and place the markers 9 sts apart (or 1/6th of the way around) for the increases. Leave out the increases on every third row. To make it octahedral, again, follow the pattern as written except: cast on 56 sts (or some other multiple of 8), and place the markers 7 sts apart (or 1/8th of the way around) for the increases. In this case, only do the increases every other round. Both of these options will give a more rounded collar.