April Showers

April Showers Colorworked Cowl by Christal LK Designs

What Is Being Made

The April Showers is a colorworked cowl designed by Christal LK Designs (Christelle Nihoul). This is a finished cowl measuring 60cm in circumference with a height of 25cm, making it a versatile neckwear piece suitable for layering and everyday wear. The cowl is worked in the round using circular needles, creating a seamless tubular construction.

Craft and Primary Techniques

This project is a knitting pattern featuring stranded colorwork as the primary decorative technique. Stranded colorwork, also known as Fair Isle knitting, involves working with two colors in a single round, carrying the unused yarn (floats) across the back of the work. The pattern includes helpful guidance on float management, recommending that floats be caught every 3 to 4 stitches to prevent excessively long strands that could snag or create loose areas.

The cowl construction combines multiple sections: a ribbed cuff section, a stranded colorwork section featuring a charted pattern, and a finishing ribbed section. This combination of techniques creates both structural integrity and visual interest.

Stitches Used

• 2x2 Ribbed Cast-On and Ribbing: The cowl begins with a 2x2 ribbed cast-on using the main color, creating 180 stitches. The initial ribbed section spans rounds 1 through 15, with rounds 1 and 2 of the finishing ribbed section also worked in 2x2 rib. This ribbing provides elasticity and helps the cowl maintain its shape.
• Knit Stitch: Used throughout the pattern, including in transition rounds and the ribbed sections.
• Purl Stitch: Incorporated in the 2x2 ribbed sections to create the characteristic textured appearance of ribbing.
• Stranded Colorwork: The main decorative element, worked according to a provided chart that is repeated twice across each round during the colorwork section.
• Yarn Over (YO): Mentioned as part of the cast-on technique.

Materials and Specifications

The April Showers pattern calls for 4-ply yarn weight, which provides excellent stitch definition for colorwork. The suggested yarn is Malabrigo Mechita, a 100% Merino wool yarn available in 384m per 100g skeins. The color requirements are:

• Main Color (MC): Malabrigo Mechita in Impressionist Sky, approximately 211 meters
• Contrast Color (CC): Malabrigo Mechita in Natural, approximately 90 meters

Two circular needles are required: a 3.75mm (US 5) circular needle measuring 60cm for the ribbed sections and a 3.5mm (US 4) circular needle measuring 60cm for the stranded colorwork section. The gauge for the ribbed section is 30 stitches and 33 rounds over 10cm (4 inches) when worked in stranded colorwork with the larger needles, measured after blocking.

Additional notions include a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and the beginning of round.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with some experience. While stranded colorwork requires attention to tension and float management, the straightforward construction and clear charted instructions make this an accessible introduction to or continuation of colorwork techniques.

Pattern Structure and Finishing

The cowl is worked seamlessly in the round from the cast-on edge. After the initial ribbed section, the stranded colorwork chart is introduced and worked twice per round with a marker placed between repeats. Once the colorwork section is complete, the contrast color yarn is cut and the main color is used to work the final ribbed rounds, creating a balanced, finished appearance. Blocking is recommended to set the gauge and even out the colorwork stitches.