Wendy Cowl

Wendy Cowl by Juliana Lustenader

What Is Being Made

The Wendy Cowl is a knitted cowl designed by Juliana Lustenader, available as a downloadable PDF pattern. This project creates a finished cowl measuring 6 inches wide with two size options: 26.75 inches or 53.25 inches in circumference, making it suitable for various neck sizes and styling preferences. The cowl is a versatile accessory that can be worn as a neck warmer or styled in multiple ways.

Knitting Techniques

The Wendy Cowl employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques that make this an engaging project for knitters with some experience. The cowl is worked in the round using circular needles, which creates a seamless tubular fabric. The pattern begins with a provisional cast on, allowing the knitter to later graft the two ends together in pattern, creating a truly seamless join. The primary decorative technique used is stranded colorwork, also known as fair isle knitting, which involves carrying multiple yarn colors across the rounds to create a charted pattern. A key design feature is that the wrong side of the colorwork is hidden within the cowl, ensuring a polished appearance on both the inside and outside of the finished piece.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Wendy Cowl uses charted pattern instructions worked in the round. The pattern is constructed from 72 stitches cast on, with stitch counts varying slightly depending on which size option is being worked. The gauge for this project is 24 stitches and 24 rounds equals 4 inches in the charted pattern, which is important for achieving the correct finished dimensions. The stranded colorwork method requires working with multiple colors in single rounds, creating the visual pattern shown in the chart.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Wendy Cowl pattern calls for Plymouth Worsted Merino Superwash yarn, which is 100% superwash wool. This yarn choice provides durability and easy care, as superwash wool can be machine washed. The yarn is a worsted weight, providing good stitch definition for the colorwork pattern. The yardage requirements are 1 ball each of three colors for the smaller size, or 2 balls each for the larger size. Each ball contains 218 yards (199 meters) and weighs 3.53 ounces (100 grams). The three colors specified in the original pattern are:

• Color A: #0016 Burgundy
• Color B: #0040 Pumpkin
• Color C: #0056 Aquamarine

Tools and Notions Required

To complete the Wendy Cowl, knitters will need US Size 8 (5 mm) circular needles in a 16-inch length, or any needle size necessary to obtain the specified gauge. Additional materials include one stitch marker to denote the beginning of each round, waste yarn for the provisional cast on, and two darning needles for grafting the ends together in pattern.

Pattern Format and Designer Information

The Wendy Cowl is an independent designer pattern created by Juliana Lustenader and is available as a downloadable PDF. The pattern is presented in an intermediate difficulty level, making it suitable for knitters who are comfortable with circular needle work and colorwork techniques. The design was originally published by Interweave Knits, and this version is dated August 26, 2019.