The Sweetest Berries

The Sweetest Berries Cowl by Justyna Lorkowska

What is Being Made

The Sweetest Berries is a knitted cowl design created by Justyna Lorkowska. This project produces a cozy neck accessory with a circumference at the neck opening of 54cm (21.25 inches) and a depth in the front of 46cm (18 inches). The cowl is worked in the round, making it a seamless, tubular garment perfect for layering and everyday wear.

Craft and Techniques

This is a knitting project suitable for beginners. The design incorporates several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques that build essential skills. The cowl is constructed using circular knitting methods, worked from the beginning of round (BOR) in a continuous spiral. The pattern employs cable needle work, indicating the presence of cable stitches that create textured, twisted columns throughout the fabric. Shaping is achieved through strategic increases worked at specific points in the pattern.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes a variety of knitting stitches and techniques:

• Knit stitch (k) - the fundamental stitch forming the base fabric
• Purl stitch - used in combination with knit stitches to create texture and pattern definition
• Knit two together (k2tog) - a right-leaning decrease used for shaping
• Make one left (m1L) - an increase worked by lifting the loop between stitches from the front and knitting into the back loop
• Make one left purlwise (m1Lp) - a purl-based increase using the same lifting technique
• Make one right (m1R) - an increase worked by lifting the loop between stitches from the back and knitting into the front loop
• Make one right purlwise (m1Rp) - a purl-based increase using the back-lift technique
• Cable stitches - created using a cable needle to cross stitches over one another, producing the decorative twisted effects

Materials

The Sweetest Berries is designed to be worked with 4-ply yarn weight, a medium-weight yarn that provides good stitch definition for the cable and textured elements. The pattern calls for 1 skein of Martin's Lab Comfy Merino, which is composed of 100% Merino fiber. Each skein contains 400 meters or 440 yards per 100 grams, providing ample yardage for the complete cowl. The design is shown in two colorways: Glitter (the light colorway) and Leshch (the dark colorway), allowing crafters to choose their preferred aesthetic. Circular needles appropriate for 4-ply yarn weight are required to work this project in the round.

Pattern Format

The Sweetest Berries is provided as a downloadable PDF pattern. This format allows crafters to access the complete instructions, abbreviation key, schematic measurements, and stitch-by-stitch guidance from Justyna Lorkowska and Lete's Knits. The pattern is designed for personal use only.