All About the Form Cowl Pattern
I recently released the Form Cowl pattern, a textured cowl inspired by nature.
After seeing photos of clusters of mushrooms growing on trees I felt inspired by their layered appearance to design the Form Cowl. I wanted to recreate the layered effect as a knitted fabric, so I started knitting swatches to see what textures were possible. The stitch pattern I decided on for the final cowl creates ripples which slightly vary in thickness around the cowl.
Before getting started on the final pattern I purchased the yarn I'd be using; I selected Spectrum Fibre DK in the colour 'Parma Violet'. I thought the texture of the cowl would show off the speckles in the yarn nicely. I didn't want to use a very variegated yarn for this cowl, as this could cause the colours of the yarn to end up masking the texture of the cowl.
Once I had the yarn I was ready to start working on the pattern. First of all I needed to decide on the final circumference I'd like the cowl to be. I tried on and measured a number of cowls I already have to help me choose. I was then able to knit a swatch using the Spectrum Fibre yarn and use that swatch together with the decided circumference to write a rough draft of the pattern.
Next, I started knitting the cowl following the draft of the pattern. I frequently tried it on as I was working on it to check the length. Once I was happy with the length I was able to finish off writing the pattern to match the final decided measurements.
This cowl ended up being a 1-2 skein project. I managed to use a single skein, but did use all of the yardage. For the recommended yardage I included slightly more than this to ensure you have enough yarn, but you could experiment with using a single skein if you have the correct or a slightly tighter gauge. If you use less than the recommended yardage you do however risk running out of yarn and having to make your cowl shorter.
The final Form Cowl is as cosy and textured as I'd originally pictured, so I'm very happy with it. I'm sure mine will be getting lots of wear this winter. It's an easy to knit project with a simple stitch pattern that's straightforward to learn - even for beginner knitters. The pattern includes written step-by-step instructions for the method used to create the pleats. I've also created tutorials for all of the techniques used, which include a video and step-by-step written instructions (links to these are within the notes section of the pattern).
Click the link below to check out the full details of the pattern.
