August Loop

August Loop Cowl by Melissa LaBarre

What is Being Made

The August Loop is a knitted cowl designed by Melissa LaBarre. This project creates a circular neckwear piece worked in the round using a ripple stitch pattern. The cowl is constructed by casting on a substantial number of stitches and working repeating pattern rows to build the finished garment.

Craft and Primary Technique

This is a knitting project suitable for knitters with intermediate

Stitches and Stitch Techniques Used

The August Loop employs several key knitting techniques:

• Yarn overs (Yo) — used to create decorative holes and lacy elements within the ripple pattern
• K4tog (triple decrease) — a quadruple decrease that knits 4 stitches together as one, reducing bulk and creating the dramatic shaping of the ripple
• Ssssk (slip, slip, slip, slip, knit) — an alternative triple decrease method that slips 4 stitches individually before knitting them together through the back loop, offering a different visual effect
• Long-tail cast-on — the recommended cast-on method for establishing the initial 247 stitches
• Ripple pattern — the primary stitch pattern, worked over 19 rows and repeated 4 times to build the cowl

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The August Loop pattern calls for Schoppel Crazy Zauberball yarn in fingering-weight (approximately 459 yards per 100-gram ball). The pattern uses nearly one complete ball in color 1701. Knitters will need US 6 (4mm) circular needles measuring 29 inches in length. The pattern notes recommend using a pointier-tipped circular needle to facilitate working the triple decreases more easily. Additional notions include a stitch marker for marking the beginning of the round and a blunt needle for weaving in ends upon completion.

Pattern Notes

This downloadable PDF pattern is designed for personal use only. The ripple pattern is worked in 19-row repeats, with the full pattern sequence repeated 4 times total to achieve the finished cowl dimensions. Careful attention to tension and needle choice will enhance the ease of working the complex decreases that define this design.