463 Bell Lace Cowl - Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Northfield

463 Bell Lace Cowl – Knitting Pattern for Women in Valley Yarns Northfield

The 463 Bell Lace Cowl, designed by Kirsten Hipsky, is a beautifully textured knitted cowl worked seamlessly in the round. With a generous finished size of 40 inches around and 10 inches wide, this cowl is versatile enough to wear loosely draped or doubled around the neck for extra warmth. The pattern is rated advanced beginner, making it an excellent next step for knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques and ready to explore lace and decorative stitch combinations.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single circular cowl designed for women. The finished piece is a wide, seamless tube of richly textured fabric that combines ribbing and lace motifs. The bell lace design gives the cowl its name and its elegant, flowing visual texture. At 40 inches in circumference, it sits comfortably around the neck and shoulders, and the 10-inch width provides substantial coverage without being overwhelming.

Techniques Used

• Seamless construction: The cowl is cast on and worked entirely in the round, eliminating any seaming and creating a smooth, continuous fabric.
• Lace knitting: The bell lace pattern is created through a combination of yarn overs, decreases, and a central double decrease, producing the characteristic open, decorative motifs associated with lace work.
• Ribbing: Sections of ribbing are incorporated alongside the lace, adding stretch, texture, and structure to the finished cowl.
• Worked in the round: Using a 32-inch circular needle, all rounds are worked from the right side, which simplifies reading lace charts and maintaining pattern consistency.

Stitches Used

The pattern makes use of a thoughtful selection of knitting stitches and techniques that work together to form the bell lace motif and the overall fabric structure:

• Knit (k) and Purl (p): The foundational stitches used throughout, including in the ribbing sections.
• Yarn Over (yo): Creates the open, airy eyelets that define the lace pattern.
• K2tog (knit two together): A right-leaning decrease used to shape the lace motifs.
• SSK (slip, slip, knit): A left-leaning decrease that mirrors the k2tog for balanced lace shaping. Worked by slipping two stitches as if to knit, then knitting them together through the back loops.
• P2tog (purl two together): A purl-side decrease used within the pattern.
• K1b / Knit tbl (knit through the back loop): Adds a twisted stitch detail that contributes to the textural richness of the fabric.
• sl2tog-k1-p2sso – Central Double Decrease: A special stitch that forms the centerpiece of the bell lace motif. Worked by slipping two stitches as if to k2tog, knitting one stitch, then passing the two slipped stitches over the knit stitch. This creates a symmetrical, centered decrease that gives the bell lace its distinctive pointed shape.
• Stockinette Stitch: Used as the basis for gauge measurement at 5.5 stitches per inch.

Materials

• Yarn: Valley Yarns Northfield – a luxurious DK weight yarn with a fiber composition of 70% Merino Wool, 20% Baby Alpaca, and 10% Silk. Each skein contains 50g and approximately 124 yards. The pattern calls for 4 skeins in colorway 08 Summer Plum. This fiber blend brings together the softness and elasticity of Merino, the halo and warmth of Baby Alpaca, and the subtle sheen and drape of Silk – qualities that are particularly well-suited to showcasing lace detail.
• Needles: US size 5 (3.75 mm) 32-inch circular needles, used to accommodate the full 216 cast-on stitches worked in the round.