Product Description
A Sharav is a hot, dry eastern wind. It brings dust and sand, blowing across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. This hooded cowl, or balaclava, knit in one piece, mostly in the round, from the bottom up will protect you from any wind, not just the hot ones. With the cowl up on your face, it can even shield you from blowing dust or ice particles. The stranded color work evokes the geometric art of the Middle East and just might give you better visibility in a storm.
This is a great design for using smaller leftovers from other projects. I was able to purchase mill ends of the sample yarn at a great discount, but would not have wanted to buy full skeins of all of the contrast colors. Here is a way to put your stash and leftovers to good use! Just make sure the yarns are similar in weight, fiber content, and washing requirements
Sharav Hooded Cowl by Ranée Mueller
What Is Being Made
The Sharav is a hooded cowl, also known as a balaclava, designed to protect the wearer from harsh weather conditions including wind, dust, sand, and ice particles. Named after the hot, dry eastern wind that crosses the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, this knitted accessory combines functional design with cultural inspiration. When pulled up over the face, the cowl provides comprehensive coverage and protection from blowing elements while maintaining visibility through its thoughtfully designed construction.
Construction Method
This hooded cowl is knit in one piece, primarily worked in the round from the bottom up. The seamless, circular construction method creates a continuous garment without requiring assembly, making it both efficient to knit and comfortable to wear. The bottom-up approach allows knitters to try on the piece as it progresses and adjust the length to personal preference before completing the hood shaping.
Stitch Techniques and Color Work
The Sharav features stranded color work, a traditional knitting technique where multiple yarn colors are carried across the row to create geometric patterns. This method produces a reversible, double-layered fabric with excellent insulation properties. The geometric designs evoke the artistic traditions of Middle Eastern textile arts, creating visual interest while serving the practical purpose of enhancing visibility during stormy or low-light conditions.
Yarn and Materials
The pattern requires sport weight yarn in multiple colors:
- Approximately 210 to 275 yards of Main Color (MC), depending on size
- 40 to 55 yards of Contrast Color 1 (CC1)
- 10 yards of Contrast Color 2 (CC2)
- 10 to 15 yards of Contrast Color 3 (CC3)
Sport weight yarn is a lightweight to medium yarn that knits to a fine, flexible fabric suitable for garments requiring drape and comfort against the skin. The color palette allows knitters to create striking geometric patterns while using minimal yardage of accent colors.
Skill Level
Designed as an intermediate-level project, the Sharav requires knitters to be comfortable with circular knitting, stranded color work techniques, and reading pattern instructions. Knitters should have experience managing multiple yarn colors and maintaining even tension across color changes to achieve the geometric patterns successfully.
```Specifications
| Brand: | Independent Designer |
| Yarn Weight: | Sport |
| Pages: | 10 |
| Designer: | Ranée Mueller |
| Craft: | Knitting |
| Format: | Downloadable PDF |
| Languages: | English |
| Number of Patterns: | 1 |
| Skill Level: | Intermediate |
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