Jungle cowl

Jungle Cowl by Ashley Knowlton

Project Overview

The Jungle Cowl is an intermediate-level knitted cowl designed by Ashley Knowlton, featuring a nature-inspired aesthetic with twisting cabled vines and reaching branches. This versatile neckwear piece can enhance a winter wardrobe in bold jewel tones or more subdued colorways. The buttoned side construction provides adjustable fit and increased comfort, allowing the wearer to customize the cowl's circumference for personalized breathing room.

What Is Being Made

This project creates a cowl—a tubular neckwear accessory measuring 9 inches tall and 20 inches wide in its unstretched and unbuttoned state. The cowl features a buttoned closure system with four to five buttons, enabling the wearer to adjust the fit and ease around the neck. The design combines structural cables with lace elements to create visual interest and texture.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Jungle Cowl employs several intermediate knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive appearance:

• Cable Knitting: The primary design element features twisting cabled vines created using cable stitches. The pattern includes the special stitch C5B (cable 5 back), which involves moving stitches to a cable needle, knitting additional stitches, then knitting the held stitches to create the characteristic twisted rope effect.
• Lace Patterning: The cowl incorporates lace elements throughout the design, creating openwork sections that contrast with the solid cable columns. This technique adds airiness and visual complexity.
• Decreasing Techniques: The pattern utilizes P2togtbl (purl two together through the back loop), a decrease method that creates specific shaping and texture within the lace sections.
• Circular Knitting: The cowl is worked in the round using circular needles, creating a seamless tubular construction.

Yarn and Materials

The Jungle Cowl pattern calls for premium yarn and specific notions to achieve the intended drape and structure:

• Yarn: One skein of Posh Yarn Sylvia Aran in the colorway Vines (green). This yarn is a luxury blend of 50% Merino wool and 50% silk, providing both warmth and lustrous sheen. The skein contains 180 yards (165 meters), which is sufficient for the complete cowl.
• Needles: US 8 (5.00mm) circular needles, minimum 24 inches (60 centimeters) in length, to accommodate the cowl's circumference and enable in-the-round knitting.
• Notions: A cable needle for managing cable stitches, a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends and finishing, and four to five buttons measuring 0.75 inches (18 millimeters) in diameter for the side closure.

Gauge and Finished Dimensions

Achieving the correct gauge is essential for this pattern. The specified gauge is 18 stitches and 22 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) when working the Lace and Cable Pattern after blocking. The finished cowl measures 9 inches in height and 20 inches in width when unstretched and unbuttoned, providing a comfortable fit for most neck sizes.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to advance to more complex stitch patterns. The combination of cable work, lace techniques, and circular needle construction requires comfort with multiple knitting methods and the ability to read and follow detailed pattern instructions.