Chickpea Cowl

Chickpea Cowl by Salt and Stone Knits

What is Being Made

The Chickpea Cowl is a one-size circular cowl that measures approximately 47 inches (120 centimeters) in circumference and 7.5 inches (19 centimeters) in height. This knitted accessory is designed to be worn around the neck and provides substantial coverage with its generous dimensions. The cowl is worked in the round from the bottom up, creating a seamless, tubular garment ideal for layering during cooler seasons.

Construction Techniques

The Chickpea Cowl employs several sophisticated knitting techniques that elevate it beyond basic circular knitting. The construction begins with a provisional cast on, which allows the knitter to create a fold at the bottom edge by knitting the provisional cast on round together with live stitches. This creates a finished, folded hem without the need for additional finishing steps.

The body of the cowl is worked using a tuck stitch pattern, a textured stitch technique adapted from Nancy Marchant's book Tuck Stitches. Tuck stitches are created by knitting into stitches from previous rows, creating dimensional texture and visual interest. The pattern is divided into three distinct tuck stitch sections throughout the cowl's height.

These three tuck stitch sections are separated by welts, which are created by knitting together two rows on the wrong side. This technique creates crisp, horizontal lines that provide structure and visual definition to the cowl. The cowl is finished with one final welt that is bound off as you go, securing all stitches while maintaining the welt detail.

Stitches Used

• Tuck stitch pattern (primary stitch throughout the body)
• Knit stitch (foundational stitch)
• Provisional cast on (for the bottom edge fold)
• Welt construction (horizontal texture separators)
• Bind off as you go (final finishing technique)

Yarn and Needles

The Chickpea Cowl is designed for fingering weight yarn, also known as 4-ply weight. The pattern is shown worked in The Fox and the Knight Merino Fox Socks, a high-quality yarn blend containing 75% Superwash Merino and 25% Nylon, offering both softness and durability. This yarn provides 425 meters (465 yards) per 100 grams.

The gauge for this project is 20 stitches by 60 rows equals 4 inches (10 centimeters) when worked in the tuck stitch pattern. Knitters should work with 4.0mm (US 6) needles in a 32-inch circular needle size to achieve proper gauge and the intended finished dimensions.

Yarn Requirements by Color

• C1 (Pirate Angel, dark purple): 310 meters / 339 yards
• C2 (Your Bucky, light blue): 208 meters / 228 yards

Difficulty Level

The Chickpea Cowl is rated as an intermediate knitting project. While the tuck stitch pattern is described as simple and easy to remember once established, the combination of techniques—including provisional cast on, tuck stitches, welt construction, and bind off as you go—requires knitters to have foundational circular knitting skills and comfort with working in the round. The pattern is well-suited for knitters looking to expand their technical abilities and explore textured stitch patterns.