Cheetah Cowl in Lion Brand - M20001 - Downloadable PDF

Lion Brand Cheetah Cowl (Pattern M20001) – Free Knitting Pattern Summary

The Lion Brand Cheetah Cowl (Pattern M20001) is a free, downloadable PDF knitting pattern published by Lion Brand Yarn Company. It produces a bold, animal-print inspired cowl featuring a striking cheetah colorwork design, worked entirely in the round as a single seamless piece. The finished cowl measures approximately 16 x 12.5 inches (41 x 32 cm) when measured flat, making it a generously sized accessory that sits comfortably around the neck and shoulders.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a knitted cowl — a closed-loop neck warmer with no seams — decorated with a stranded colorwork cheetah print motif. The three-color design mimics the iconic spotted pattern of cheetah fur, giving the finished accessory a fashionable, eye-catching look. The cowl is worked in one continuous piece in the round, so there is no seaming required at the end. Its super bulky yarn weight means it knits up quickly, making it an ideal project for beginners or anyone looking for a satisfying, fast knit.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated Easy by Lion Brand, making it accessible to newer knitters who are comfortable with basic knitting in the round and ready to try a simple introduction to colorwork. The chart-based colorwork is straightforward, and the large needle size and chunky yarn make it easy to see each stitch clearly.

Techniques Used

• Knitting in the round – The cowl is worked entirely in the round on a circular needle, creating a seamless tube with no finishing seams required.
• Stranded colorwork – Sometimes called Fair Isle-style knitting, this technique involves working with multiple yarn colors in the same round, following a chart to create the cheetah spot pattern. Unused colors are carried, or floated, across the wrong side of the fabric between where they are needed.
• Reading a colorwork chart – Every round of the colorwork chart is read from right to left, as is standard when knitting in the round. This is a fundamental skill for any knitter looking to explore patterned colorwork.
• Carrying yarn across the wrong side – Unused yarn colors are carried across the inside of the cowl, a core stranded colorwork technique that keeps all colors accessible without cutting and rejoining yarn repeatedly.
• Casting on – The cowl begins with a cast-on of 80 stitches using the main color.
• Blocking – The pattern gauge is measured over blocked Stockinette stitch, so blocking the finished cowl is recommended to achieve the correct dimensions and open up the colorwork pattern beautifully.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch in the round – The entire body of the cowl is worked in Stockinette stitch, which when knitting in the round simply means knitting every round. This creates a smooth, flat fabric surface that is ideal for showcasing colorwork motifs.

Materials

This pattern is designed specifically for Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick (Art. #640), a popular super bulky weight yarn that combines the warmth and softness of wool with the easy care of acrylic. Three colorways are used to achieve the cheetah print effect:

• #099 Fisherman – 2 skeins (main color, used as the background)
• #127 Peanut – 1 skein (used for the warm tan tones of the cheetah spots)
• #153 Black – 1 skein (used for the dark outlines and spot details)

In addition to yarn, the following tools and notions are required:

• Lion Brand circular knitting needle, size US 11 (8 mm), 29 inches (73.5 cm) long — the circular needle is essential for working this cowl in the round
• Lion Brand stitch markers — used to mark the beginning of rounds and keep track of pattern repeats
• Lion Brand large-eyed blunt needle — used for weaving in