Avon Cowl - Knitting Pattern for Women in Tahki Yarns Newport

Avon Cowl Knitting Pattern by Susan Mills

What Is Being Made

The Avon Cowl is a women's knitted cowl designed by Susan Mills. This is a versatile neckwear accessory that measures 6½ inches wide with a 49-inch circumference, making it suitable for wrapping comfortably around the neck. The pattern is offered in one size and is ideal for crafters seeking a straightforward, elegant accessory project.

Craft and Difficulty Level

This is a knitting pattern rated as beginner difficulty, making it accessible to newer knitters while still offering interesting construction details. The project uses fundamental knitting techniques combined with decorative lace elements, allowing beginners to build confidence with classic stitch work.

Techniques Used

The Avon Cowl employs several key knitting techniques:

• Worked flat – The cowl is constructed on straight needles rather than in the round, then seamed together to create the finished tube
• Lace work – A lace chart guides the creation of openwork patterns that add visual interest and drape to the fabric
• Seaming – After the flat piece is completed, edges are joined using a yarn needle to form the cowl's circular shape

Stitches and Special Techniques

The pattern incorporates standard knitting stitches and specialized stitch abbreviations:

• Stockinette stitch – The primary fabric base, worked in knit and purl rows
• Lace chart stitches – Including yarn overs and decreases that create the openwork design
• Make bobble (MB) – A textured stitch created by working [K1, p1, k1] into a single stitch, turning, purling 3 stitches, turning again, then working a centered double decrease (s2kp) to complete the bobble
• Centered double decrease (s2kp) – Slip 2 stitches together as if to knit 2 together, knit 1, then pass the 2 slipped stitches over the knit stitch for a centered decrease
• Knit 2 together (k2tog) – A standard right-leaning decrease

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Avon Cowl pattern calls for 2 skeins of Tahki Yarns Newport, a blend fiber yarn composed of 67% cotton, 23% linen, and 10% polyamide. Each skein contains 1.75 ounces (50 grams) and yields 137 yards (125 meters). The recommended color is #05 navy. The yarn weight is worsted, a medium weight suitable for creating fabric with good drape and structure.

Tools Required

Knitters will need Size 6 (4mm) needles or the size necessary to achieve the correct gauge, along with a yarn needle for seaming the finished cowl pieces together.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches and 25 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in Stockinette stitch. Checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure the finished cowl meets the intended measurements of 6½ inches wide by 49 inches in circumference.

Pattern Construction

The cowl begins with casting on 41 stitches. The first row (right side) is worked by slipping 1 stitch with yarn in back, knitting 1, working Row 1 of the Lace Chart over 37 stitches, then slipping 1 stitch with yarn in back and purling 1. The second row (wrong side) follows a similar edge treatment while working Row 2 of the Lace Chart. This structured approach creates neat selvage edges that facilitate clean seaming when the flat piece is joined into a tube.