Kananaskis Cowl

Kananaskis Cowl by Corrine Walcher

What is Being Made

The Kananaskis Cowl is a knitted neck warmer inspired by Kananaskis, a beautiful national park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. This cowl is designed to be worn around the neck and provides both warmth and style. The finished cowl measures 22 inches around when unstretched and 23 inches when stretched, with a height of 8.75 inches. This design is part of a coordinated collection that includes a matching hat and fingerless gloves, allowing crafters to create a complete set.

Techniques and Stitches Used

The Kananaskis Cowl is knitted in the round using classic cable knitting techniques combined with stockinette stitch. The pattern features several cable stitch variations that create visual interest and texture:

• 2/1 Left Purl Cable (2/1 LPC): Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front; purl 1; knit 2 from cable needle
• 2/1 Right Purl Cable (2/1 RPC): Slip 1 stitch to cable needle and hold in back; knit 2; purl 1 from cable needle
• 2/2 Left Cable (2/2 LC): Slip 2 stitches to cable needle and hold in front; knit 2; knit 2 from cable needle
• Stockinette Stitch: The primary background stitch, created by knitting all stitches on right-side rounds and purling all stitches on wrong-side rounds (or knitting all rounds when working in the round)

The combination of purl cables and knit cables creates a sophisticated textured design that showcases the beauty of the yarn while maintaining an intermediate skill level.

Yarn and Materials

The sample cowl was knitted using Dragonfly Fibers Traveller, a 100% superwash merino yarn with 280 yards per 4 ounces. The sample was worked in the Dragonberry colorway and required 175 yards of yarn, leaving approximately 105 yards of yardage remaining from a single skein.

Knitters will need a set of 5 double-pointed needles or a 16-inch circular needle in size 5 US (3.75 mm), or the size needed to obtain the correct gauge. The pattern recommends using a needle size that achieves a gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows per 4 inches in blocked stockinette stitch when knitting in the round.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate, making it suitable for knitters who have mastered basic techniques and are ready to work with cable stitches. The use of double-pointed needles or circular needles for in-the-round knitting, combined with the cable techniques, requires comfort with these methods but remains accessible to experienced beginners and intermediate knitters.