Amsterdam Cowl

Amsterdam Cowl by Nuria Pastor

Project Overview

The Amsterdam Cowl is an intermediate-level knitted cowl designed by Nuria Pastor, featuring a striking combination of stripes and chevron stitch patterns. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a versatile neckwear piece with a finished circumference of 80 cm (31.5 inches) and a width of 20 cm (8 inches). Both dimensions can be easily customized by adjusting the number of cast-on stitches and repeating rows as desired.

What Is Being Made

This project produces a cowl—a circular knitted neckwear accessory that drapes around the neck. The design showcases the designer's love of stripes combined with chevron stitch work, creating visual interest through color changes and textural stitch patterns. The cowl is one-size-fits-most, though the pattern accommodates modifications for different sizing preferences.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Amsterdam Cowl employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive appearance:

• Striping: The pattern incorporates color changes to create horizontal stripes throughout the cowl
• Chevron Stitch: A decorative stitch pattern that creates a distinctive V-shaped or zigzag texture, adding visual depth and movement to the piece
• Circular Construction: The cowl is worked in the round, requiring the use of circular needles and techniques for seamless knitting
• Yarn Over Increases: Used to create the lace-like qualities and shaping within the chevron pattern
• Decreases: Including central double decreases and standard decreases to shape the chevron motifs

Stitches and Abbreviations

The pattern uses standard knitting abbreviations and the following stitches:

• Knit (k): Basic knit stitch
• Purl (p): Basic purl stitch
• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The foundation stitch combining knit and purl rows
• Yarn Over (yo): Creates decorative holes and increases within the pattern
• Knit 2 Together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease
• Slip Slip Knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease
• Central Double Decrease (cdd): A decrease that creates a centered line in the chevron pattern
• Make 1 Left (m1l) and Make 1 Right (m1r): Increases that add stitches while maintaining pattern integrity
• Slip Stitch (sl): Used for joining rounds and pattern work

Materials and Yarn Weight

The Amsterdam Cowl is designed to be worked with sport or DK weight yarn, offering flexibility in fiber choice. The sample shown was knitted using Katia yarns in three colors: Gatsby, Bolero, and Capri. These yarns are composed of cotton and polyester blends, providing breathability and durability.

Yarn Requirements: For a three-color cowl, the pattern calls for approximately 115 meters (126 yards) of the main color and 65 meters (71 yards) each for two contrasting colors, using 50-gram skeins. This modest yardage makes the project accessible and economical.

Needles: The pattern specifies 4 mm [US 6] straight needles, though circular needles are recommended for the in-the-round construction of this cowl.

Skill Level and Customization

Rated as an intermediate project, the Amsterdam Cowl requires familiarity with basic knitting techniques and comfort working with stitch patterns and color changes. The pattern's flexibility allows knitters to adjust the final dimensions by modifying the cast-on stitch count and the number of pattern repeats, making it adaptable to different preferences and yarn availability.