Boxing Bears

Boxing Bears Cowl by Deb Hoss

What is Being Made

Boxing Bears is a cozy knitted cowl designed by Deb Hoss, perfect for adding warmth and style to your neckline during cooler seasons. This one-size cowl features finished measurements of 12½ inches in height by 21¼ inches in circumference at the upper edge, gradually expanding to 28¼ inches in circumference at the lower edge. The expanding silhouette creates a flattering, versatile fit that works beautifully as both a functional accessory and a stylish layering piece.

Techniques and Construction Methods

The Boxing Bears cowl employs several fundamental knitting techniques to create its distinctive appearance and structure. The pattern utilizes circular knitting to construct the cowl in the round, ensuring a seamless, continuous fabric. The design incorporates strategic increases that are tucked discreetly into the margins of the pattern, allowing the cowl to grow gradually from the narrower upper edge to the wider lower edge without creating obvious shaping lines. The finished piece requires blocking to achieve its final dimensions and refined appearance.

Stitches Used

The pattern relies on simple, classic knitting stitches to build visual interest and texture. Stockinette stitch and garter stitch alternate throughout the design, creating the signature "boxes" that give the cowl its distinctive name and appearance. These contrasting stitch patterns—stockinette's smooth, V-shaped rows and garter's bumpy, horizontal ridges—work together to produce a striking geometric effect. The increases used are kfb (knit front and back), a straightforward method for adding stitches that integrates seamlessly into the pattern structure.

Skills Required

This intermediate-level project requires knitters to be comfortable with several foundational techniques. Essential skills include executing a long-tail cast-on, working circular knitting (typically on circular needles or double-pointed needles), performing increases using the kfb method, and understanding basic blocking techniques to finish the piece professionally.

Materials

The Boxing Bears cowl is worked in chunky weight yarn, making it a relatively quick project to complete. The pattern is shown in Semilla Grosso by BC Garn, a premium yarn composed of 100% organic wool. The yardage requirement is approximately 260 yards (240 meters), which translates to 3 skeins of the featured yarn (each skein contains 87 yards or 80 meters per 50-gram weight). Knitters may substitute any comparable chunky weight yarn in their preferred color. The pattern calls for circular needles appropriate for chunky weight yarn and standard knitting notions for blocking and finishing.