Steinem Lacy Cowl

Steinem Lacy Cowl by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton

What Is Being Made

The Steinem Lacy Cowl is a lightweight, elegantly draped cowl designed by independent designer Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton. This knitted accessory features delicate lace patterning and measures 33 inches (84 cm) in length by 7.5 inches (19 cm) in width when lightly blocked. The cowl is constructed as a shawlette-style piece that can be worn as a versatile neck accessory, combining refined lace details with practical wearability.

Craft and Technique

This project is created using the knitting craft. The Steinem Lacy Cowl employs intermediate-level knitting techniques suitable for crafters with foundational skills who are ready to work with lace patterns and shaping. The design incorporates strategic decreases and yarn overs to create the characteristic openwork lace aesthetic while maintaining structure through careful stitch management.

Stitches and Stitch Techniques Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st) — the foundational stitch providing a smooth base for the lace pattern
• Yarn overs (yo) — creating the decorative holes and openwork characteristic of lace knitting
• Purl stitches (p) — used in combination with knit stitches to create textural variation
• Knit two together (k2tog) — a right-leaning decrease used throughout the pattern
• Knit two together through back loops (k2tog tbl) — a left-leaning decrease for balanced shaping
• Purl two together (p2tog) — decrease worked on wrong-side rows
• Pass slipped stitch over (psso) — an alternative decrease technique for creating lace effects
• Double yarn overs — advanced lace technique creating larger openings and textural interest

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Steinem Lacy Cowl is worked in DK weight yarn. The pattern calls for two 50-gram hanks of Heavens Hand Sister Silk, providing 120 meters (131 yards) per hank for a total of approximately 240 meters of yardage. This silk yarn choice creates a luxurious drape and elegant sheen appropriate for the lace design.

Knitting needles required are US 7 (4.5 mm), or whatever needle size is necessary to obtain the specified gauge. The recommended gauge is approximately 19 stitches and 26 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch. Achieving proper gauge is emphasized as essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements and drape of the cowl.

Pattern Construction Notes

The cowl begins with a cast-on of 38 stitches and is worked in rows, combining knit and purl rows to create the lace pattern. The pattern includes strategic shaping through paired decreases and yarn overs, with stitch counts adjusting throughout the rows as the lace motifs develop. The design demonstrates intermediate complexity through its use of multiple decrease techniques and the coordination of yarn overs with decreases to maintain stitch count while creating openwork sections.