Free Wavy Cable Cowl Pattern Using Debbie Bliss Falkland Aran

Image courtesy of Debbie Bliss

I much prefer wearing cowls rather than scarves to keep snug in winter - no loose ends flapping around! Last month I decided I wanted a cozy cowl to co-ordinate with a knitted hat I'd been given.

Debbie Bliss's Falkland Aran in the shade Claret (see left) was a pretty good match for the hat in terms of colour, weight and texture. Each skein is 100g - just right for a cowl.

Next came the process of coming up with an interesting cable pattern, which involved lots of experimentation, pulling out and starting again!

Finally I hit on a relatively simple cable pattern I liked and then decided on what I wanted the vertical length of the cowl to be.  I'd keep knitting until I'd got the width right for me - not too tight round my neck making it difficult to put on, but so baggy that it would lose its warm and cosy properties.

Here's the cowl on the blocking mat:

And here's my finished pattern. The cowl has become a staple for braving the cold and the rain outdoors! Feel free to use this pattern for personal use only. If you do reproduce it then be sure to credit me and add a link to awoollyyarn.co.uk please.

Wavy Cable Cowl

Requires one 100g skein of Debbie Bliss Falkland Aran yarn, two cable needles and a pair of 5mm knitting needles.

Cast on 47 stitches loosely.

Row 1 (right side): P5, K9, p5, K9, p5, K9, P5.

Rows 2 - 8: Knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches.

Row 9: P5, 9st cable pattern (see below), p5, 9st cable pattern, P5, 9st cable pattern, p5.

9st cable pattern: Slip 3 to cable needle at the back, slip 3 to cable needles at the from, k3, k3 from front cable needle, k3 from back cable needle.

Rows 10 - 16: Knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches.

Repeat Rows 1-16 until you have your desired width. Cast off k-wise on a RS row. Block, then sew the cast on and cast off rows together to form a tube.

Keeping warm feels better when you've knitted the cowl yourself!