Slipped Stitch Striped Cowl

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If you’d like an ad-free PDF of this pattern, you can find it available on LoveCrafts or on Ravelry. Whether you are enjoying this pattern ad-free with purchase or using the instructions below, thank you for your support of independent designers and content creators.

Over the past few months, I’ve been spending a great deal of time revisiting patterns in my knitting books. I’m enjoying spending time with each book and it’s been nice to reflect on my design career thus far as well as plan where I want to go from here. Six of my knitting books were published by Martingale & Company (now out of business, sadly), and I’m working to share my favorites patterns from those books with you again, in a variety of formats.

As I looked through each of the books, one of the patterns that I kept coming back to is the Pomelo Cowl, originally published in my book Stunning Stitches, which is now out of print.

Here’s what I had to say originally about this easy cowl knitting pattern in the book, which was released in 2017:

Quick, fun, and cozy are the perfect words to describe a piece that you’ll want to wear all winter. If you knit the small size as I did here, you can finish your own Pomelo Cowl in just a  few hours!

The yarn used in the original knitted cowl is the discontinued Preciosa Tonal from KnitPicks, in the colors Crest (Color A) and Pokeberry (Color B). I’ve reknit the cowl in a different and equally beautiful worsted-weight yarn that is currently available from KnitPicks – Mighty Stitch.

YARN USED FOR POMELO COWL KNITTING PATTERN

Mighty Stitch from KnitPicks, 80% Acrylic/20% Superwash Merino; 208 yards/100 grams, in the colors Marina (Color A – 2 skeins) and Bubblegum (Color B – 1 skein)

YARN SUBSTITUTIONS

There are so many directions you can go with the yarn you’re using for this pattern. I think working Color B in a gradient or self-striping yarn would look amazing. You can even make this knitting project with leftover yarn – mix and match those leftover worsted-weight yarns to create something really unique! I think it would be fun to use a solid color yarn for the main color (Color A) and use your leftovers for the contrasting color (Color B). If you’re mixing and matching your worsted weight yarns, each mini bobble stripe uses approximately 7 (14) yards of yarn to complete the two rounds in Color B.

If you do want to do a little yarn shopping for your Pomelo Cowl, here are some yarns I’ve used on knitting projects in the past that I really like and I think would be a good fit for this knitting project:

• KnitPicks Heatherly Worsted - This is a worsted-weight, acrylic/wool blend that would create a beautiful subtle knitted cowl. One skein of each color is needed for small cowl. Two skeins of Color A and one skein of Color B is needed for the larger infinity scarf.

• Berroco Vintage - This is a worsted-weight acrylic, wool, nylon blend. One skein of each color is needed for small cowl. Two skeins of Color A and one skein of Color B is needed for the larger infinity scarf. There are a ton of colors available for this yarn, lots of Pomelo Cowl possibilities!

• Malabrigo Worsted - This yarn is a worsted-weight 100% merino wool yarn. One skein of each color is needed for small cowl. Two skeins of Color A and one skein of Color B is needed for the larger infinity scarf. Using this stunning hand-dyed yarn, you’ll be creating an lovely, luxury knitted accessory.

Pomelo Cowl worked in KnitPicks Mighty Stitch, one skein of Marina (Color A) and one skein of Bubblegum (Color B). 

POMELO COWL KNITTING PATTERN

If you’d like an ad-free PDF of this pattern, you can find it available on LoveCrafts or on Ravelry. Whether you are enjoying this pattern ad-free with purchase or using the instructions below, thank you for your support of independent designers and content creators.

Skill Level: Intermediate

Stitches Used:

Knit/Purl, Yarn Over, Slip Stitch Purlwise with Yarn in Front/Back, Purl Three Stitches Together

Techniques Used:

Cast On/Bind Off, Knitting in the Round, Increasing/Decreasing, Color Changes

Sizes: Cowl (Infinity Scarf)

Finished Circumference: 25 (50)", slightly stretched

Finished Height: 12"

Materials

• 175 (350) yards of worsted weight yarn in Color A

• 91 (182) yards of worsted weight yarn in Color B

• US Size 8 (5.0 mm) circular needle, 24 (32)" cable, or size required for gauge

• 1 stitch marker

• Tapestry needle

• Blocking supplies

Gauge

16 sts and 30 rnds = 4" in main patt in the rnd, blocked

Gauge is not critical for this pattern; however, a different gauge will affect the finished size of the cowl as well as the amount of yarn used.

Pattern Notes

Pattern is written for cowl size with infinity scarf size in parentheses. If only one instruction is given, it should be worked for both sizes. Cowl size is shown.

On Rounds 5 and 11, the stitch count doubles to make the mini bobbles. The stitch count goes back down to 100 (200) stitches on Rounds 6 and 12.

When ending Rounds 6 & 12, Color B will be at the front of the work. Move this yarn to the back before starting the next round with Color A.

Customize the Size of Your Knitted Cowl

As long as you cast on a multiple of two stitches, you can create whatever size cowl you  want. Because this pattern is so easy to adjust, it’s perfect for experimenting with different weights of yarn. Remember, adjusting the size will affect the amount of yarn you’ll need.

KNITTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR COWL

With Color A, loosely CO 100 (200) sts. Join rnd being careful not to twist. Place marker to mark the beginning of the rnd.

Purl 1 rnd.
Knit 1 rnd.
Purl 1 rnd.

Continue cowl, working the main patt of cowl as follows:

Rnds 1 - 4: With Color A, knit all sts.

Rnd 5: With Color B, *(k1, yo, k1) in next st, sl1 wyib; rep from * to end—200 (400) sts.

Rnd 6: With Color B, *p3tog, sl1 wyif; rep from * to end, move yarn to back—100 (200) sts.

Rnds 7 - 10: With Color A, knit all sts.

Rnd 11: With Color B, *sl1 wyib, (k1, yo, k1) in next st; rep from * to end—200 (400) sts.

Rnd 12: With Color B, *sl1 wyif, p3tog; rep from * to end, move yarn to back—100 (200) sts.

Work Rnds 1 - 12 another 5 times.

Work Rnds 1 - 10 once more—13 mini-bobble stripes in Color B.

Cut Color B. Color A will be used for the remainder of the cowl.

With Color A, purl 1 rnd.
Knit 1 rnd.
Purl 1 rnd.

Finishing

BO all sts loosely knitwise. Lightly block if desired. With tapestry needle, weave in ends.

Knitting Abbreviations Used

BO: bind off
CO: cast on
k: knit
p: purl
p3tog: purl three stitches together
patt: pattern
rep: repeat
sl: slip stitch purlwise
st(s): stitch(es)
wyib: with yarn in back
wyif: with yarn in front
yo: yarn over 

Curious about what other patterns are in my Stunning Stitches book? You can check out all the projects on Ravelry here. The book is now out of print. Some patterns from the book are now featured in my new shawl anthology, Big Book of Knitted Shawls, now available for pre-order.