Askham Cowl in Rowan Hemp Tweed - Downloadable PDF

Askham Cowl by Martin Storey – Knitting Pattern Summary (Rowan Hemp Tweed)

The Askham Cowl is a beautifully textured knitted cowl designed by Martin Storey and published by Rowan. Available as a free downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty and is an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable with cable techniques and working in the round. The finished cowl is a sophisticated, wearable accessory that combines classic cable motifs with clean ribbing for a polished, structured look.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a knitted cowl — a closed-loop neck warmer worn around the neck and shoulders. The Askham Cowl features an all-over repeating cable and rib pattern worked seamlessly in the round, finished at both edges with a neat ribbed border. It is a compact, stylish accessory suitable for cooler seasons.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn: Rowan Hemp Tweed, an aran-weight yarn, used in the colourway Kelp 142 as photographed
• Quantity: 5 x 50gm balls of Rowan Hemp Tweed
• Needles: 4mm (UK No. 8 / US 6) circular needle, no more than 50cm long
• Needles: 4½mm (UK No. 7 / US 7) circular needle, no more than 50cm long
• Additional tools: A cable needle is required for working the cable stitches

Techniques Used

• Knitting in the round on circular needles — the cowl is worked as a seamless tube from cast-on to cast-off, eliminating the need for seaming
• Cable knitting — multiple cable crossings are worked throughout the body of the cowl using a cable needle, creating the signature twisted rope-like texture
• Ribbing — the cast-on and cast-off edges are worked in rib, providing a neat, stretchy finish that helps the cowl sit comfortably around the neck
• Decreasing — a round of decreases (K2tog) is worked before transitioning to the final ribbed border, shaping the stitch count neatly
• Pressing and finishing — the completed cowl is pressed and finished according to Rowan's standard information page guidelines

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) — the foundational stitches forming the rib and background fabric
• C2B (Cable 2 Back) — a two-stitch cable crossing worked to the back, creating a right-leaning twist
• C2F (Cable 2 Front) — a two-stitch cable crossing worked to the front, creating a left-leaning twist
• C6F (Cable 6 Front) — a six-stitch cable crossing worked to the front, forming a bold, classic rope cable panel
• K2tog (Knit 2 Together) — a simple right-leaning decrease used in the transitional round before the final rib

Pattern Structure and Stitch Repeat

The main body of the Askham Cowl is worked over an 8-round repeating pattern that combines panels of twisted cables (C2B and C2F) with a prominent C6F rope cable and purl-framed knit columns. The repeat is worked 8 times around the circumference of the cowl, creating a richly textured all-over design. After the main pattern section is complete — spanning a total of 97 rounds — stitches are decreased and the work transitions to a final 8-round rib before casting off.

Tension

The stated tension for this pattern is 29½ stitches and 29 rounds to