Tide Tables

Tide Tables Cowl by Louise Zass-Bangham

What Is Being Made

Tide Tables is a customizable knitted cowl featuring blocks of colour that tumble down the fabric. This intermediate-level design is part of the Safe Haven collection and coordinates with matching hat and wristees from the same series. The cowl is notable for its surprise stripe panel at the back, adding visual interest to a seemingly simple colourwork piece. It can be worn as a versatile layering accessory and makes an ideal quick gift project.

Design and Construction

The cowl is worked flat on needles and can be finished either seamlessly or seamed according to maker preference. The design incorporates pick-up stitches as part of its construction method. The colourwork is executed using straightforward stripes throughout, making it accessible for intermediate knitters without requiring more complex techniques like intarsia. The fully customisable sizing allows makers to adjust dimensions to suit individual preferences and yarn availability.

Sizing Options

The pattern offers flexible sizing guidance:

• Height: 20–30cm (8–12 inches), with sample shown at 20cm (8 inches)
• Circumference: 50–60cm (20–24 inches), with sample shown at 56cm (22 inches)

Stitches and Techniques

This project employs fundamental knitting techniques suited to intermediate skill levels. The primary construction uses basic knit and purl stitches arranged in stripe patterns. Makers will encounter pick-up stitches as part of the finishing process. The colourwork relies entirely on easy stripe sequences rather than more demanding techniques, making it an excellent project for knitters developing their colour-changing skills.

Yarn and Materials

Tide Tables works well with any quality yarn in the 4ply (fingering) to sportweight range. The sample was knitted using Blue Sky Alpacas Sportweight and Melange, a yarn composed of 100% baby alpaca that yields approximately 100 metres (110 yards) per 50-gram skein.

Yarn quantities required:

• Main colour (A): 2–3 skeins depending on size chosen. The smallest suggested size requires 2 skeins; the largest requires 3 skeins. Sample used 75 grams (150 metres/165 yards) in Egg Plant 512.
• Contrast colours (B, C, and D): 10–15 metres (11–17 yards) each. Sample used 10 metres (11 yards) of each contrast colour, including Relish 808.

Suitable needles for sportweight yarn (typically UK size 6–8 or US size 4–6) are required, though specific needle specifications are detailed in the full pattern PDF.