Wharf

Wharf Cowl by Alicia Plummer

What Is Being Made

Wharf is a knitted cowl designed by Alicia Plummer. This is a one-size-fits-all circular neckwear piece measuring 42 inches (106 centimeters) in width and 13 inches (33 centimeters) in height. The cowl is constructed to be worn around the neck, providing warmth and style with a sophisticated two-color colorwork design.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Wharf cowl employs several fundamental knitting techniques suitable for intermediate-level crafters. The garment is worked in the round from the bottom up, a common method for creating seamless circular pieces. The construction begins with a cast-on using the long-tail method, followed by ribbed edging to create elasticity and structure at the base. The main body features a mesh pattern, which creates an open, lacy texture through strategic yarn overs and decreases. Two-color knitting is incorporated, with the crafter switching between a main color and complementary color to create visual interest and depth in the finished piece.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes essential knitting stitches including:

• Knit (K) – the fundamental stitch forming the base fabric
• Purl (P) – used in combination with knit stitches to create the ribbed edging
• Knit 2 Together (K2tog) – a right-leaning decrease used throughout the mesh pattern to create the lacy openwork effect
• Yarn Over (Yo) – creates decorative holes and increases in the mesh pattern, essential for the cowl's distinctive open texture
• Ribbing (K1, P1) – worked for the first inch (2.5 centimeters) to provide stretch and a finished edge

Materials and Gauge Information

The Wharf cowl is designed to be worked in DK weight yarn, a medium-light yarn weight that creates drape and fluidity in finished garments. The suggested yarn is Organic Merino DK by Morning BrightFarm, requiring 440 yards total—220 yards of the main color and 220 yards of the complementary color. Each color is available in 100-gram (3.53-ounce) skeins containing 220 yards (201 meters).

The pattern specifies two needle sizes to achieve the desired fabric characteristics. US 6 (4.0 millimeter) needles are used for the ribbed cuff section, while US 8 (5.0 millimeter) needles are used for the mesh pattern body. Both needle types can be worked as double-pointed needles (DPN's) or circular needles, depending on the crafter's preference. The gauge is 16 stitches equals 4 inches (10 centimeters) in stockinette stitch on the larger needles, though the pattern notes that gauge is not crucial for this design, making it forgiving for knitters of varying experience levels.

Additional Notions and Tools

Beyond yarn and needles, the pattern requires four place markers to track pattern repeats and construction points, and a darning needle for weaving in the yarn ends after binding off. These basic notions are standard supplies in most knitting projects.