Product Description
This cowl pattern is my response to the "knit your life" challenge on Fiber Factor. It features a two-color allover design that looks like a wavy grid to show my work in ocean model grid generation. It is shown in the large size. The chart could be used on other items, such as a vest or sweater.
Yarn: I used a solid handspun and a variegated Noro yarn. For the Noro, I used half each of two skeins to make for slower color changes. I used just a little more of the solid (55 g), but the cowl could be made shorter and the smaller size would use less for the same length.
Wavy Grid Cowl by Kate Hedstrom
Project Overview
The Wavy Grid Cowl is an advanced knitting pattern designed as a sophisticated cowl neck accessory. Created by Kate Hedstrom in response to the Fiber Factor's "Knit your Life" challenge, this pattern draws inspiration from the designer's 25-year career working with numerical ocean models. The design incorporates grid generation concepts translated into a knitted textile, featuring a doubly periodic all-over pattern that creates visual interest through its mathematical foundation.
Design Inspiration and Concept
The Wavy Grid Cowl represents a unique fusion of scientific and artistic practice. The pattern's grid structure reflects the designer's professional expertise in oceanographic modeling, while the color palette celebrates multiple dimensions of personal life including marriage, Tai Chi practice, fiber arts, and rural living. The multicolored yarn choices work together to create depth and movement within the geometric grid design.
Knitting Techniques and Stitches
This advanced-level pattern employs two-color stranded stockinette as its primary knitting technique. Stranded colorwork, also known as Fair Isle knitting, involves carrying yarn colors across the back of the work to create intricate color patterns. The technique requires careful tension management to ensure even fabric and proper stitch definition. The pattern utilizes a long-tail cast-on or alternative cast-on method to begin the project.
The cowl is worked in the round using circular needles, which allows for seamless construction and continuous pattern development. The all-over grid design repeats throughout the circumference, creating a cohesive visual effect that works from any viewing angle.
Materials and Specifications
- Yarn A: 1 skein (50 g) of Noro Silk Garden Lite, or alternatively 1/2 each of two skeins for slower color transitions
- Yarn B: 1 skein (250 g) of a solid-color yarn that coordinates with the Noro selection; the designer used handspun yarn for this component
- Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) circular needles, 16 inches (40 cm) length
- Gauge: 23 stitches per 4 inches (10 cm) in two-color stranded stockinette stitch
Size Options
The Wavy Grid Cowl is available in two finished sizes to accommodate different preferences:
- Medium: 21.5 inches (55 cm) circumference
- Large: 24 inches (60 cm) circumference, shown in the pattern photography
Yarn Characteristics
The pattern calls for Noro Silk Garden Lite for the primary color component, a yarn known for its variegated color changes and blend of silk and wool fibers. The multicolored nature of this yarn provides the visual richness that complements the geometric grid design. The solid-color yarn serves as the secondary component, providing contrast and structure to the stranded colorwork pattern. The combination of these two yarn types creates dimensional color interplay throughout the finished cowl.
Construction Method
The cowl begins with a long-tail cast-on or alternative cast-on technique using the solid-color yarn. The pattern is then worked in rounds on circular needles, maintaining consistent gauge in two-color stranded stockinette throughout. The doubly periodic grid design repeats seamlessly, allowing the pattern to work harmoniously regardless of where the viewer's eye focuses on the finished garment.
```Specifications
| Brand: | Independent Designer |
| Designer: | Kate Hedstrom |
| Craft: | Knitting |
| Format: | Downloadable PDF |
| Languages: | English |
| Number of Patterns: | 1 |
| Skill Level: | Advanced |
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