Painted Ladies Cowl

Painted Ladies Cowl by Alexis Hoy

What Is Being Made

The Painted Ladies Cowl is an elegant, cozy neck accessory featuring a double-layer construction inspired by Victorian architecture. This cowl showcases elegant Victorian houses marching in rows around its circumference, creating a visually striking design. The finished cowl measures 26 inches (66 cm) in circumference and 10½ inches (27 cm) in depth, making it a substantial and warming accessory suitable for cold weather wear.

Construction and Design Features

This cowl is constructed using stranded colour work knitting, a traditional technique that creates a double layer of fabric by carrying two colours of yarn simultaneously throughout the knitting process. The double-layer construction serves a dual purpose: it provides exceptional warmth and insulation while also making the cowl reversible, allowing the wearer to display either side. This reversibility adds versatility and luxury to the finished piece, as both the inside and outside feature the complete colourwork graphic.

The stranded colour work technique involves holding two yarn colours in hand and switching between them to create the intricate Victorian house pattern. This method naturally produces a thicker, more insulating fabric than single-layer knitting, making the cowl particularly suitable for tucking around the chin and neck on the coldest days.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stranded colour work knitting – the primary technique used to create the double-layer construction and reversible design
• Circular knitting – the cowl is worked in the round using circular needles
• Grafting – used to seamlessly join the cast-on and bind-off edges, creating a continuous tube
• Standard knit and purl stitches worked within the colourwork pattern

Materials and Specifications

Yarn: The pattern calls for lace or light fingering weight yarn. The pictured sample uses Georgian Bay Fibre Co. Bayfield Fingering, which is 100% Blue Faced Leicester wool. One skein each of the main colour (MC) and complementary colour (CC) is required. The Bayfield Fingering yarn provides 378 yards (346 metres) per 115-gram skein, offering ample yardage for the double-layer construction.

Needles: US Size 2½ (3 mm) circular needles are used, specifically one 24-inch (60 cm) circular needle for the main knitting and an additional identical or smaller 24-inch (60 cm) circular needle reserved for the grafting process.

Gauge: The pattern is worked at a gauge of 33 stitches and 35 rows over 4 inches (10 cm) when measured in the inside graphic colourwork pattern. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished dimensions.

Notions: Additional supplies include a stitch marker for tracking rounds, scrap yarn for holding stitches, and a tapestry needle for grafting and weaving in ends.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty. While the stranded colour work technique requires some experience with managing two colours simultaneously, the circular construction and straightforward pattern repeat make it accessible to knitters who have mastered basic colourwork skills. The reversible nature of the double-layer construction adds complexity but also ensures a polished, professional-looking finished piece.

Yarn Weight Specifications

The pattern specifies 3-ply lace weight yarn, which refers to both the weight category and the ply structure of the yarn. This lightweight, delicate yarn is ideal for creating the fine gauge required for the colourwork detail while still producing a warm, insulating fabric when worked in the double-layer stranded technique.