Mephala

Mephala Cowl by Melanie Berg

What is Being Made

Mephala is a downloadable knitting pattern for a sophisticated cowl designed by Melanie Berg. This project creates a finished cowl measuring 8 inches by 49 inches (20cm by 125cm) when worked in the round. The cowl is an intermediate-level knitting project suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to explore textured stitch techniques.

Techniques Used

The Mephala cowl features a distinctive bundle stitch as its primary design element. This advanced stitch technique involves inserting the right-hand needle into a stitch three rounds below the current working row to create decorative openings and dimensional texture. The pattern includes a video tutorial reference to guide knitters through the bundle stitch execution. The cowl is worked in the round using circular needles, which creates a seamless tubular fabric. The pattern begins with a long-tail cast on method, establishing 162 stitches as the foundation.

Stitches Used

The Mephala pattern employs several fundamental stitches combined with the signature bundle stitch:

• Knit (k) – worked in pattern throughout the design
• Purl (p) – used to create texture variation and structure within the pattern
• Knit two together (k2tog) – a decrease stitch for shaping
• Bundle stitch – the featured decorative technique that creates the cowl's distinctive aesthetic by pulling working yarn through stitches from previous rounds

The pattern repeats rounds 1 through 8 eight additional times, or until the knitter achieves their desired width, allowing for customization based on personal preference.

Materials

The Mephala pattern calls for 1 skein of Zitron Kimono yarn, a luxury blend composed of 54% Merino wool and 46% silk. This yarn weight is sport weight, providing a lightweight yet durable fabric suitable for a cowl. The skein contains 100 grams and yields 328 yards (300 meters) of working yarn.

The recommended needles are US 4 [3.5mm] circular needles measuring 32 to 40 inches (80cm to 100cm) in length. The pattern gauge is established at 7 stitches and 15 rows per 2 inches by 2 inches (5cm by 5cm) when the finished fabric is blocked.