Rise from the Ashes

Rise from the Ashes Cowl by Margaret Kendall

Design Concept and Inspiration

The Rise from the Ashes Cowl is a knitted cowl designed by Margaret Kendall that celebrates Chicago's historical resilience and recovery following the Great Chicago Fire. This design was created and knit in Chicago using yarn that was designed and hand-dyed locally by Windy Knitty and Lorna's Laces, emphasizing the connection between the pattern and its city of origin.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a knitted cowl—a circular neckwear accessory that drapes around the shoulders and neck. The cowl is available in three finished sizes with varying circumferences and yardage requirements: Large (62 inches / 157.5 cm circumference), Medium (45 inches / 114.3 cm circumference), and Small (24.5 inches / 62.23 cm circumference). All sizes share a consistent finished height of 7.5 inches (19 cm).

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Rise from the Ashes Cowl is constructed using mosaic stitches worked in the round. Mosaic knitting is a colorwork technique that creates intricate geometric patterns by slipping stitches strategically while working with two colors per row. In this design, the mosaic stitch pattern creates a grid that shifts between main color and contrast color, producing a dynamic visual effect as the colors alternate throughout the fabric.

The pattern is worked circularly on a single needle, which creates a seamless tubular construction ideal for cowl garments. This method eliminates the need for seaming and provides an even, professional finish.

Color and Design Flexibility

The pattern instructions accommodate up to 5 contrast colors, allowing knitters to customize their finished cowl with varying color combinations. The designer recommends pairing a solid main color with a highly contrasting tonal colorway to achieve maximum visual impact from the mosaic stitch pattern. This flexibility enables each knitter to create a unique version while following the same structural pattern.

Materials and Yarn Requirements

The Rise from the Ashes Cowl is worked in fingering-weight yarn (3-ply), a lightweight yarn suitable for creating delicate, detailed colorwork. Yarn yardage varies by size:

• Large: 375 yards (343 meters) main color; 290 yards contrast color
• Medium: 275 yards (252 meters) main color; 210 yards contrast color
• Small: 150 yards (137 meters) main color; 115 yards contrast color

The pattern specifies US Size 2 (2.75mm) circular needles in a 40-inch (100 cm) length, with the note that knitters should select an appropriate needle length based on their desired cowl circumference. Additional materials include one stitch marker for tracking the beginning of each round and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends after completion.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to explore colorwork techniques. Mosaic knitting, while visually complex, is more forgiving than traditional stranded colorwork because it involves slipping stitches rather than carrying multiple colors across rows, making it an excellent introduction to two-color patterning.