Evening Star

Evening Star Doubleface Cowl by MadeByInTheGardens

What is Being Made

The Evening Star is a knitted cowl featuring a doubleface construction, a reversible fabric technique that creates visual interest on both sides of the garment. This intermediate-level knitting project uses a two-color or three-color stranded colorwork approach to produce a sophisticated loop-style cowl suitable for evening wear.

Craft and Primary Technique

This is a knitting project that employs the doubleface knitting technique, also known as double-faced or reversible knitting. Doubleface knitting creates a fabric with distinct pattern work on both the front and back, making it an ideal technique for cowls and accessories where both sides are visible. The technique involves alternating knit and purl stitches in a specific sequence across rows to build the reversible structure.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches combined in a structured doubleface pattern:

• Knit stitches worked in the main color and accent colors
• Purl stitches worked in contrasting colors to create the reversible effect
• Stranded colorwork using two or three colors (F1, F2, and F3 designations) worked alternately across rows
• Edge stitches (randmaschenpaar) slipped as if to knit to create neat selvages

The core pattern structure alternates between rows where the knitter works one stitch in the main color and one stitch in the accent color, switching which color is knit versus purled on subsequent rows to achieve the doubleface reversible fabric.

Materials and Specifications

The Evening Star cowl is designed to be worked with DK weight yarn, specifically recommended in Rico Essentials Merino DK, a 100% merino fiber. The pattern requires yarn with a minimum yardage of 230 meters per 100 grams. Circular needles in size 5 are used for working the cowl in the round.

The gauge for this doubleface project is 16 stitches and 20 rows over 10 centimeters. The pattern notes emphasize the importance of checking gauge carefully, as there is limited yardage remaining after completion. Knitters are advised to work slightly tighter than their natural gauge to ensure sufficient yarn for the entire project.

Color Options

The Evening Star can be worked in either a two-color combination (F1 and F2) or a three-color version (F1, F2, and F3). The pattern accommodates multiple colorway possibilities, with the doubleface technique allowing each color combination to create distinct visual effects on the front and reverse sides of the finished cowl.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty. While it uses basic knitting stitches, the doubleface technique and coordination of multiple colors across rows require solid foundational knitting skills and the ability to manage color changes and pattern sequencing throughout the project.