Kerfuffle Cowl

Kerfuffle Cowl by Michele Bernstein

What is Being Made

The Kerfuffle Cowl is a knitted cowl designed by Michele Bernstein as an accessible introduction to stranded colorwork knitting. This downloadable PDF pattern provides instructions for creating a finished cowl that can be worn as a neck accessory. The design uses only two colors per round, making it an ideal project for knitters looking to develop colorwork skills without overwhelming complexity.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern focuses on stranded colorwork knitting, a technique where two colors are worked simultaneously in the same round, with unused yarn carried along the inside of the fabric. The Kerfuffle Cowl is knit in the round using circular needles, which creates a seamless tubular construction. The pattern demonstrates how strategic color choices—including the use of variegated yarn for the contrast color—can enhance the visual impact of colorwork without additional technical difficulty. Michele Bernstein notes that selecting a variegated contrast yarn allows the dyer's work to do much of the visual heavy lifting, creating a sophisticated appearance with minimal additional effort from the knitter.

Stitches Used

The gauge is measured over stockinette stitch worked in the colorwork pattern, which forms the foundation of the cowl's fabric. The pattern employs standard two-color stranded colorwork stitches throughout the rounds.

Materials and Specifications

• Yarn Weight: Heavy worsted/Aran weight yarn
• Yardage Required: 125 yards main color (MC), 90 yards contrast color (CC)
• Suggested Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted Merino (100g/210 yards per skein), shown in colorways Polar Morn and Oceanos
• Needles: US #6/4 mm and US #8/5 mm, both 24-inch circular needles, or size needed to achieve gauge
• Gauge: 5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch over colorwork pattern, measured with the larger needles
• Additional Notions: Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as advanced, reflecting the stranded colorwork technique required. However, the design is specifically structured as a beginner-friendly introduction to colorwork, with the constraint of only two colors per round keeping the technical demands manageable for knitters expanding their skill set.

Pattern Format

The Kerfuffle Cowl is available as a downloadable PDF pattern. Michele Bernstein also offers the Ruffle Kerfuffle Scarf pattern for adventurous knitters, which includes both the cowl instructions and additional directions for creating a steeked scarf version. The scarf variation uses a stabilized steek technique—where crocheted stitches secure the steek before cutting—and finishes the cut edges with a ruffle, offering knitters the choice between two distinct finished projects.