Nemunas Cowl

Nemunas Cabled Lace Cowl by Lina Gaubard

What is Being Made

The Nemunas is a downloadable knitting pattern for a cabled lace cowl designed by independent designer Lina Gaubard. This intermediate-level project is inspired by the Nemunas River, the largest river in Lithuania, and features a design that captures the visual essence of flowing water through contrasting cable and lace stitch patterns. The pattern is available in three size options: a small cowl, a large cowl, and a scarf variation, allowing knitters to choose the finished piece that best suits their needs.

Design Concept and Inspiration

The Nemunas cowl draws its aesthetic from the designer's observation of how the Nemunas River appears under different weather conditions. During stormy days, the turbulent water creates a dense, heavy appearance that inspired the prominent cable patterns in the design. In contrast, on rainy summer days, fine water droplets form delicate lace-like patterns on the river's surface, which is reflected in the lace elements of the knitting pattern. This thoughtful conceptual approach creates a garment with visual depth and narrative meaning.

Techniques and Stitches Used

The Nemunas cowl employs two primary knitting techniques to achieve its design: cable knitting and lace knitting. The cable patterns create raised, twisted columns of stitches that represent the heavy, turbulent flow of water, while the lace elements introduce openwork sections that evoke the delicate appearance of water droplets and flowing movement. These contrasting techniques work together to create visual interest and texture variation throughout the piece.

For best stitch definition and to showcase the interplay between the dense cables and delicate lace, the pattern recommends using a smooth, round yarn that will not obscure the stitch details with texture or fuzz.

Yarn and Materials

The Nemunas pattern calls for Double Knit (DK) / 8 ply weight yarn. The yardage requirements vary by size:

• Small Cowl: 2 skeins, 100 g total, 329.2 meters (360 yards)
• Large Cowl: 3 skeins, 150 g total, 493.8 meters (540 yards)
• Scarf: 4 skeins, 200 g total, 658.2 meters (720 yards)

The pattern was tested with Filature du Valgaudemar Merinos yarn, a smooth merino wool that provides excellent stitch definition for displaying both the cable and lace elements.

Needles and Gauge

Knitters should use 4 mm to 4.5 mm needles (US size 6 to 7), or adjust needle size as needed to achieve the correct gauge. The pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches by 19 rows over 10 by 10 centimeters (4 by 4 inches) in stockinette stitch. The designer notes that knitters may need to use one or two needle sizes larger than recommended to achieve proper gauge, depending on individual tension and yarn characteristics.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to expand their technical repertoire. The combination of cable and lace techniques requires familiarity with cable stitches, yarn overs, and decreases, as well as the ability to read and follow a detailed stitch pattern.