Josephine Cowl - Knitting Pattern For Women in Willow & Lark Ramble

Josephine Cowl Knitting Pattern – Willow & Lark Ramble

The Josephine Cowl is a beautifully detailed knitted cowl from the Homestead Collection by Willow & Lark. Designed as a lace and slip stitch cowl worked entirely in the round, it combines elegant texture with a practical, wearable shape. The finished cowl measures 72 cm (28¼ in) in circumference and 20 cm (7¾ in) in depth, making it a generous, cosy accessory that sits comfortably around the neck.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a circular cowl for women, knitted seamlessly in the round. The cowl features an intricate combination of lace patterning and slip stitch detailing, giving the fabric a refined, textured appearance. The design is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it an ideal project for knitters who are comfortable with basic lace and slip stitch techniques and are looking to develop their skills further.

Techniques Used

• Lace knitting: Lace is created through a series of yarn-overs and decreases that form decorative eyelets and openwork patterns within the fabric. In the Josephine Cowl, lace adds lightness and visual interest to the overall texture.
• Slip stitch patterning: Stitches are slipped purlwise with yarn held at the back (wrong side) of the work throughout the main pattern. This technique creates subtle elongated stitches that add depth and a woven-like quality to the fabric without extra complexity.
• Working in the round: The entire cowl is worked on circular needles, eliminating seams and producing a smooth, continuous tube of fabric.
• Cable needle techniques: The pattern includes Cr3L and Cr3R cross stitches using a cable needle, adding further structural detail to the design.
• Decreases: The pattern uses sl1, K1, psso decreases, where the slipped stitch is worked knitwise, as a key shaping and lace-forming technique.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch – used as the base fabric and for tension measurement
• Slip stitch (purlwise) – central to the decorative patterning throughout the cowl
• Yarn-over increases – used to create lace eyelets
• sl1, K1, psso decrease – a classic lace decrease worked knitwise
• Cr3L and Cr3R – cable cross stitches worked over three stitches using a cable needle

Materials Required

The pattern is specifically designed for Willow & Lark Ramble yarn, a 100% Wool DK weight yarn, sold in 50 g (1¾ oz) balls. You will need 3 balls to complete the cowl. The pattern suggests Rose (shade 126) as the primary colourway, with Bluebell (shade 122) offered as an alternative. As the fibre, weight, twist, and composition of the yarn directly affect the finished look, Willow & Lark Ramble is strongly recommended to achieve results consistent with the pattern photographs.

Needles and Tools

• 3.25 mm (UK 10 / US 3) circular needles, 40 cm (16 in) length
• 4.00 mm (UK 8 / US 6) circular needles, 40 cm (16 in) length
• A cable needle for working Cr3L and Cr3R stitches

Tension

The recommended tension is 22 stitches and 30 rounds to 10 cm (4 in), measured over stocking stitch using 4.00 mm (US 6) needles. Checking tension before beginning is