Njord cowl

Njord Cowl by Emelie Litwin

What is Being Made

The Njord Cowl is a knitted neck cowl designed by Emelie Litwin. This is a versatile neckwear piece featuring a fitted neck opening that gradually expands toward the bottom, creating a flattering drape. The cowl measures 20 inches (52 centimeters) around the neck circumference, expanding to 43 inches (110 centimeters) at the bottom, with a total height of 17 inches (43 centimeters). The design showcases color contrast through the use of two different yarn colors worked together throughout the piece.

Techniques Used

The Njord Cowl employs several fundamental knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive shape and visual interest. The primary construction method uses garter stitch, a basic knit stitch pattern that creates a textured, reversible fabric with horizontal ridges. The pattern incorporates color work by combining two contrasting yarn colors, allowing for creative color combinations. Shaping is achieved through strategic increases and decreases distributed throughout the pattern to transition from the narrow neck opening to the wider bottom circumference. The cowl is worked in the round using circular needles, which allows for seamless construction and continuous pattern work.

Stitches Used

The Njord Cowl pattern utilizes a focused set of essential knitting stitches:

• Knit (k): The fundamental stitch used throughout the garter stitch base
• Purl (p): Used in combination with knit stitches to create garter stitch texture
• Knit two together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease stitch used for shaping
• Brk (knit 1 stitch together with its yarn over): A specialized increase technique
• Brkyobrk (brk, yarn over, then brk in the same stitch): A double increase creating two new stitches from one
• Brp (purl 1 stitch together with its yarn over): A purl-based increase variation
• BrLsl (slip 1 stitch knitwise, brk1 the following 2 stitches together and pass the slipped stitch over): A left-leaning double decrease
• Slip 1, yarn over (sl1yo): A decorative increase that adds visual interest
• Yarn over (yo): Creates openwork eyelets and increases

Materials Required

The Njord Cowl is worked in fingering weight yarn, specifically requiring two 100-gram skeins of contrasting colors. The suggested yarn is Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light, which provides 384 meters (420 yards) per 100-gram skein. The recommended color combination pairs Smokestack (Yarn A) with Duchess (Yarn B), though any two contrasting colors in this yarn weight can be substituted. Knitting needles required include a 17-inch (40-centimeter) circular needle in US size 4 (3.5 millimeters) or the size needed to achieve proper gauge. Additional notions include a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, a row counter for tracking progress, and seven stitch markers for marking pattern repeats and shaping points.

Gauge and Difficulty

The pattern specifies a gauge of 26 to 28 stitches per 10 centimeters (4 inches) measured in garter stitch. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements. The Njord Cowl is classified as an intermediate difficulty pattern, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to work with more complex stitch techniques and shaping methods. The combination of color work, multiple increase and decrease variations, and circular needle construction requires solid understanding of basic knitting fundamentals.