Squish Cowl with a Cable

Squish Cowl with a Cable by Stefanie Johnson

Project Overview

The Squish Cowl with a Cable is a luxuriously squishy knit cowl designed by Stefanie Johnson during the Spin-Off 2021 Cowl-along. This project celebrates handspun and handmade fiber arts, created to send a warm hug to someone special. The cowl is characterized by its soft, squishy texture and elegant cable detailing, making it both a practical accessory and a thoughtful handmade gift.

Design Features and Sizing

This cowl is available in two sizes: Small and Large. The Small size measures 6.5 inches tall with a 21-inch circumference, while the Large size measures 6.5 inches tall with a 58-inch circumference. The Large size provides generous length for versatile styling options, whether worn as a traditional cowl or doubled around the neck for extra warmth and texture.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Squish Cowl features a combination of sophisticated knitting techniques that create visual interest and textural depth:

• Fancy Herringbone Stitch: The main body of the cowl is worked in fancy herringbone stitch, which creates the signature squishy texture and elegant visual pattern. This stitch requires careful attention to technique but rewards the knitter with a luxurious, dimensional fabric.
• Double-Knit Cable: A contrasting cable detail runs through the cowl, worked using double-knit technique. This creates a bold, three-dimensional cable that stands out beautifully against the herringbone background.
• Garter Stitch Edging: The edges of the cowl are finished with garter stitch, providing a clean, stable border that frames the main stitch pattern and prevents rolling.

Gauge and Blocking

The pattern specifies a gauge of 22 stitches and 21.5 rows over 4 inches in fancy herringbone stitch on larger needles after blocking. Achieving proper gauge is essential for this project, as the blocking process helps set the herringbone pattern and ensures the finished cowl has the intended dimensions and drape.

Yarn and Materials

The Squish Cowl is designed to showcase beautiful yarn, particularly handspun fiber. The sample was knit with a handspun blend of 50% camel and 50% Tussah silk combed top. For those preferring commercial yarn, the pattern recommends DK weight yarn in two contrasting colors:

• Valley Yarns Deerfield: An 80% baby alpaca and 20% silk blend available in 50-gram skeins with 109 yards. For the Main Color (MC), knitters need 1 skein for Small or 3 skeins for Large. For the Contrasting Color (CC), 1 skein is required for both sizes.
• Blue Sky Fibers Alpaca Silk: A 50% alpaca and 50% silk blend available in 50-gram skeins with 146 yards. For MC, knitters need 1 skein for Small or 2 skeins for Large. For CC, 1 skein is required for both sizes.

Both yarn options feature luxury fiber content with alpaca and silk blends, which contribute to the cowl's signature softness and squishy feel. The use of two contrasting colors creates visual definition between the herringbone stitch body and the double-knit cable.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as Intermediate difficulty. While the basic knit and purl stitches are fundamental, the fancy herringbone stitch requires attention to detail and pattern following. The double-knit cable technique adds complexity, making this cowl suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic stockinette stitch projects.

Needles and Tools

The pattern calls for two sizes of needles: larger needles are used for the main herringbone stitch body to achieve the specified gauge, while smaller needles are implied for the contrasting cable and garter stitch edging. The specific needle size is determined by achieving the 22 stitches and 21.5 rows gauge requirement with the chosen yarn.