This toasty cowl is great for blustery winter walks! It’s bulky enough to stay up around your chin on its own, but won’t totally suffocate you as you wear it. An everyday accessory, you can wear this reversible cabled cowl all winter long. The nice thing about reversible cowls when you’re in a rush: you won’t need to waste an extra second of your morning routine figuring out which which way to wear your neck warmer!
Supplies
1½ skeins Bernat Roving in Low Tide
size 10½ / 6.5mm knitting needles
cable needle
scissors
tapestry needle
Abbreviations
CO – cast on
WS – wrong side
RS – right side
k – knit
p – purl
RCx2 – right-leaning cable, working k2, p2
LCx2 – left-leaning cable, working p2, k2
Notes: While the finished cowl is reversible, the first row worked on this pattern is on the wrong side. This pattern uses the provisional cast on and kitchener stitch to join ends. If you’re new to these techniques, click the links to go to my tutorials for each.
The Pattern
CO 44 sts using a provisional cast on
Row 1. (WS) p2, (k2, p4, k2, LCx2, RCx2) twice, k2, p4, k2, p2
Row 2. (RS) k2, (p2, k4, p2, k2, p4, k2) twice, p2, k4, p2, k2
Row 3. p2, (LCx2, RCx2, p2, k4, p2) twice, LCx2, RCx2, p2
Row 4. (k4, p4) 5 times, k4
Row 5. p2, (p2, k4, p2, RCx2, LCx2) twice, p2, k4, p4
Row 6. k2, (k2, p4, k2, p2, k4, p2) twice, k2, p4, k4
Row 7. p2, (RCx2, LCx2, k2, p4, k2) twice, RCx2, LCx2, p2
Row 8. k2, p2, (k4, p4) 4 times, k4, p2, k2Repeat rows 1-8 until your cowl reaches your desired length, then join your cast on and working ends with a grafting/kitchener stitch. Weave in ends to finish.
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Update
I’ve gotten several questions about how to do the cables. To help keep things clear for new cable knitters, I’ll direct you to these video tutorials I made featuring right and left leaning cables for right and for left handed knitters.
for righties:
for lefties:
Let me know if you have more questions in the comments! :D
Could you explain further how you do the cable for the low tide cowl. Is the cable needle held in front of work in back of work? Do you put 2 stiches on then knit 2 and purl 2 from the cable needle and vice versa? Thank you.
Hi Ruth – I’ve added some tutorial videos on how to do the cables if you’re left or right handed. Thanks for the Q! -Heidi
Sorry I am still confused. I do know how to cable left and cable right. What I don’t understand for the:
RCx2 – right-angling cable, working k2, p2
LCx2 – left-angling cable, working p2, k2
for RC do you put 2 stitches on the cable and then k2 stitches and then p2 stitches off the cable
for LC do you put 2 stitches on the cable then p2 stitches and then k2 from cable?
If you’re right handed, here’s some more info on how to do the RC and LC cables:
RCx2 – slip 2 (purl) sts on cable needle and hold to back of work, knit next 2 sts, slip sts from cable needle back to left needle and purl them.
LCx2 – slip 2 (knit) sts on cable needle and hold in front of work, purl following two sts, slip sts from cable needle back to left needle and knit them.
Many thanks for your very clear explanations! I’ll give it a try when I’m done with the faux woven one. Thanks again!
Did you block this cowl?
Yes, but without pins. :)
About how long would you say is the desired length before grafting the two ends together?
For a single wrap cowl, a rule of thumb is 12-24″ in length, depending on your preference for how close to the skin it wears. :)