Snood Knitting Patterns

Snoods, cowls and infinity scarves

The words overlap, so it helps to be precise. A snood is a closed tube worn round the neck, usually deep enough to pull up over the chin or the back of the head. A cowl is the same idea, often shorter and closer to the neck. An infinity scarf is a long loop, sometimes twisted, that wraps twice. Nearly everything in this collection is a variation on that closed loop, which is exactly why snoods are such good projects: no shaping, no sizing anxiety, and no ends to blow loose on a cold day.

Knitting in the round or knitting flat

Worked in the round on a circular needle, a snood is a plain tube and your right side is always facing you, so stocking stitch, rib and simple cables are effortless. The catch is that stocking stitch worked in the round will curl at both edges unless you finish with a few centimetres of rib or garter. Worked flat and then seamed, you can use straight needles and any stitch pattern with a wrong-side row, and a mattress stitch seam disappears into the fabric. Twisting the strip once before seaming gives you the classic infinity twist.

• Quickest: super chunky garter or rib, an evening's work on 10mm needles.
• Most wearable: a doubled-length aran loop that wraps twice for warmth without bulk at the chin.
• Best texture: moss stitch or seed panels, which lie flat and look the same both sides.
• Most impressive: cables and travelling stitches, still with no shaping to worry about.
• Matching sets: hat and cowl patterns that use one or two balls of the same yarn.

Yarn quantity and choosing a fibre

Snoods are one of the few projects where a single skein can genuinely be enough, particularly in chunky and super chunky. A close-fitting adult cowl in aran commonly sits in the region of one to three balls; a long double-wrap loop in DK needs considerably more, so always work from the pattern's metreage. Because a snood sits against the face and neck, fibre choice is felt immediately. Merino and soft blends are comfortable next to skin; standard wool can prickle for sensitive wearers; alpaca is very warm and drapes heavily, which suits a long wrapped loop more than a stiff standing collar. Acrylic and easy-care blends are practical for school and everyday wear.

Getting the size right

Two measurements decide whether a snood works. Circumference: around 55 to 60cm for a close cowl that stands at the neck, and roughly double that for one that wraps twice. Depth: about 20cm sits neatly on the collarbone, while 30cm or more lets you pull it up over your nose. If you want the option of wearing it as a hood, make the depth at least 30cm and choose a yarn with enough weight to stay put. Adjusting either is simply a matter of casting on more stitches or knitting more rounds, which is why snoods are so easy to personalise.

Finishing and care

Block a finished snood over a folded towel or a hanging line rather than stretching it flat, so the tube keeps its circumference. Weave ends along the inside of a rib column where they will not show. Wash by hand in lukewarm water unless the yarn is superwash, and dry flat; a wet loop hung over a rail will grow. Snoods make dependable gifts because there is no size to guess, so they are worth queuing up in autumn for Christmas.

Snood knitting questions

Is there a free snood knitting pattern to download? Yes, free downloadable PDF snood patterns sit alongside the paid designs.

How do I knit a snood as a beginner? Cast on for a straight rectangle in garter or rib, knit until it measures your chosen circumference, then seam the short ends together.

How much yarn does a snood take? Often one to three balls in chunky weights, more for a long double-wrap loop. Always check the pattern's metreage.

Which needles do I need? A circular needle for working in the round, or straight needles if the pattern is worked flat and seamed.

What size should a snood be? Around 55 to 60cm around for a close fit, roughly double for a double wrap, and 30cm deep if you want to wear it as a hood.