Golden Lily Reversible Cowl by Debbie Bliss & Chloe Elizabeth Birch in Morris DK - Downloadable PDF

Golden Lily Reversible Cowl Knitting Pattern by Debbie Bliss & Chloé Elizabeth Birch in Morris DK

About This Pattern

The Golden Lily Reversible Cowl is a sophisticated knitting pattern designed by the celebrated duo Debbie Bliss and Chloé Elizabeth Birch, created exclusively for use with West Yorkshire Spinners Morris DK yarn. Rated as an advanced level project, this downloadable PDF pattern delivers a stunning cowl that is fully reversible, making it a versatile and luxurious accessory. The finished cowl measures 82 cm in circumference and 29 cm in depth (approximately 32¼ × 11½ inches), offering a generous, wearable wrap that sits beautifully around the neck and shoulders.

Design Overview

The Golden Lily Reversible Cowl is a single statement accessory design featuring intricate colourwork that gives it visual interest on both sides. The reversible construction means there is no true wrong side — both faces of the fabric are designed to be worn outward, making this a truly thoughtful and refined design. The colourwork draws inspiration from the classic Morris aesthetic, reflecting the heritage and artistry associated with the West Yorkshire Spinners Morris DK yarn collection.

Techniques Used

This pattern is classified as advanced due to the combination of colourwork techniques required. Knitters working on the Golden Lily Reversible Cowl will need confidence with the following methods:

• Fair Isle knitting — working with two or three colours simultaneously, with unused yarns stranded loosely across the back of the work to create the characteristic floats of traditional colourwork
• Intarsia technique — using separate balls of yarn for individual colour sections and twisting yarns on the wrong side to link them together and avoid holes in the fabric
• Working in the round — the cowl is knitted on a circular needle, with all chart rows read from right to left as right-side rounds
• Reading colourwork charts — all pattern instructions are presented in chart format, requiring the knitter to follow multi-colour grid layouts accurately
• Tension management — particularly important in colourwork, where stranding must remain loose enough to maintain the correct gauge across the fabric
• Mattress stitch seaming — recommended for any finishing and making-up stages of the project

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st-st) — the foundation stitch of the cowl, worked as knit every round when working in the round
• Knit (K) and Purl (P) stitches as directed throughout the pattern
• Colourwork stitches incorporating Fair Isle stranding and Intarsia colour changes

Yarn & Colour Options

The pattern is written specifically for West Yorkshire Spinners Morris DK, a double knitting weight yarn sold in 50g balls. Six colourway options are provided across two groupings, allowing knitters to personalise their cowl. The named colourways are:

• Colour A — Daisy (shade 1292): requires 2 × 50g balls
• Colour B — Clover (shade 1279): requires 2 × 50g balls
• Colour C — Yew (shade 1282): requires 2 × 50g balls
• Colour D — Pomegranate (shade 1294): requires 1 × 50g ball
• Colour E — Rose (shade 1292): requires 1 × 50g ball
• Colour F — Hyacinth (shade 1278): requires 1 × 50g ball

Additional optional colours Hyacinth (1278) and Yew (1282) are noted for use in the Fair Isle sections of the design. The rich, botanical names of these shades reflect the William Morris-inspired palette that characterises this collection.

Needles & Equipment