Winter wheat cowl

Winter Wheat Cowl by Milja Uimonen

What is Being Made

The Winter Wheat Cowl is a chunky, tubular cowl designed to be worn wrapped around the neck once or twice for versatile styling. This knitted accessory measures 100 cm (39.4 inches) in circumference and 25 cm (9.8 inches) in height, making it a substantial and cozy layering piece suitable for cold weather wear.

Techniques Used

This cowl is worked in the round using circular knitting techniques, which creates a seamless, tubular construction. The pattern features an easy-to-memorize cable pattern that repeats throughout the project, allowing knitters to work without constantly referring to written instructions once the pattern repeat is established. The design emphasizes accessibility by using a straightforward cable motif that experienced knitters can commit to memory.

Stitches and Pattern Details

The Winter Wheat Cowl utilizes cable stitches as its primary stitch pattern. The pattern includes a charted cable design that knitters follow while working in the round. Construction begins with a cast-on of 150 stitches joined in the round, with careful attention paid to avoid twisting stitches at the join. A stitch marker is placed to clearly mark the beginning of each round, ensuring accurate pattern repeats and even fabric.

Materials and Gauge

Yarn: This project calls for bulky weight yarn (12 ply, 7 wpi). The pattern specifies Cascade 128, a yarn composed of 100% Peruvian wool, with approximately 117 meters (128 yards) per 100-gram skein. The colorway used in the original design is Harvest Orange (color 9580). The total yardage required is 260 meters (245 yards), equivalent to approximately 2.2 skeins of the recommended yarn.

Needles and Notions: A 7 mm circular needle measuring 32 inches (80 cm) in length is required for working this project in the round. Additional notions include a stitch marker for marking the round beginning and a weaving needle for finishing.

Gauge: The pattern is worked at a gauge of 15 stitches and 21.5 rows per 10 cm (4 inches) measured over the cable pattern. Knitters are advised to adjust needle size as needed to obtain the specified gauge, ensuring the finished cowl achieves the intended dimensions and drape.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as advanced, reflecting the cable work involved and the expectation that knitters have solid experience with circular knitting techniques and cable stitches. The easy-to-memorize pattern repeat makes the project more manageable for advanced knitters despite the technical skill required.