Buttons & Bows Cowl

Buttons & Bows Cowl by Nancy Hand

What Is Being Made

The Buttons & Bows Cowl is a knitted neck accessory designed by Nancy Hand. This cowl is a tubular garment measuring approximately 7.5 inches wide and 25.5 inches long, with a finished circumference of 51 inches (19 x 65 cm, 130 cm circumference). The cowl is worked flat and then seamed to create a continuous loop suitable for wearing around the neck.

Design Features

This intermediate-level knitting project showcases decorative stitch work through its signature design elements. The cowl features a lattice of cables that frame cable and eyelet medallions, creating an elegant textured pattern. A narrow seed stitch border finishes both side edges, providing a clean frame for the central patterned section and adding visual definition to the piece.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Cable knitting: The design incorporates cables worked in a lattice formation and within medallion motifs, requiring the use of cable needles to create twisted rope-like textures
• Eyelet work: Decorative eyelets are integrated into the medallion sections, created through yarn overs and decreases to form small openings in the fabric
• Seed stitch: A textured border stitch worked on the side edges and as the foundation for the overall structure
• Provisional cast-on: The pattern uses a provisional cast-on method, allowing for a seamless finish when the two ends are joined together
• Chart-based pattern work: The design is worked from a detailed chart showing the placement of cables, eyelets, and other stitch elements across the rows

Stitches Used

The Buttons & Bows Cowl employs several fundamental knitting stitches to create its textured appearance. Seed stitch forms the narrow borders on each side, alternating knit and purl stitches to create a bumpy, textured edge. Cable stitches are central to the design, created by crossing groups of stitches over one another using cable needles to produce the lattice pattern and cable medallions. Yarn overs and decreases work together to form the eyelet details within the medallion sections, creating decorative openings that add visual interest and lightness to the fabric.

Materials and Specifications

This project requires 1 skein of yarn in a fingering weight classification. The sample was created using Camel by Dawning Dreams, which provides 370 yards (338 meters) per skein, though the sample used approximately 302 yards (275 meters), allowing flexibility for variations in gauge or length preferences.

Needles: US 6 (4mm) needles are used throughout the project. The specified gauge is 7 stitches per inch (2.54 cm) when working the pattern stitch, which helps determine the finished dimensions of the cowl.

Additional notions required include: 2 stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and border placement, 2 cable needles for manipulating cable stitches, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and seaming the cowl, and scrap yarn for the provisional cast-on method.

Pattern Structure

The cowl begins with a provisional cast-on of 54 stitches, with stitch markers placed 4 stitches from each end to delineate the seed stitch borders. The pattern is worked from a chart labeled the Buttons & Bows chart, with the outer 4 stitches on each side maintained in seed stitch throughout. The sample features 10 repeats of the main pattern, though crafters can adjust the number of repeats based on available yarn or desired length.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle cable work and chart-based pattern reading. The combination of cable stitches, eyelet work, and pattern chart navigation requires attention to detail and familiarity with these techniques, though the repetitive nature of the pattern helps build confidence as the cowl progresses.