Amy Gropp Forbes of Eclectic Mom: Braided Cowl for Kids
Although it is hard to imagine, fall is right around the corner, and nothing beats a cozy hand knit cowl for keeping you warm. I particularly like cowls for kids; they look great and somehow seem easier to manage than a scarf.
This is a perfect project for a weekend away… it takes just one skein of yarn and only a few hours to knit. The chunky yarn and simple braid add lots of texture, and I just love Blue Sky Worsted with its subtle hand dyed variations and super soft touch! Enjoy! -Amy of Eclectic Mom
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoBraidedCowl. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 1 skein Blue Sky Worsted Hand Dye, 50% Royal Alpaca, and 50% Merino. Each skein is 100 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 100 yards required.
This color is Dungaree Blue. - A US 11 (8 mm), 16-inch circular needle
- A cable stitch holder
- Three stitch markers (optional)
- Split ring stitch markers (Optional: I use these to count the rounds. Since I tend to lose track of how many plain rounds I have knit, I hang a split ring marker on the beginning-of-the-round-marker each time I complete a round.)
Shop our wonderful collection of chunky/bulky-weight yarn to find a suitable substitute for this project, and remember that it’s always a good idea to check your gauge before you cast on… Our All About Gauge Tutorial shows you how!
Gauge
Size
Pattern Note: How to Work the Braided Cable
The entire braided cable is worked over 9 stitches, but for the two rounds it takes to form the cable, you will only work 6 stitches at a time. The other 3 stitches are knit either before or after the cable, depending on which round you’re working.
CABLE 6 FRONT (“C6F”)
Slip next 3 stitches onto cable stitch holder and bring to front of work…
… knit next 3 stitches from the left needle…
…and then knit the 3 stitches from the cable stitch holder.
CABLE 6 BACK (“C6B”)
Slip next 3 stitches onto cable stitch holder and bring to back of work…
… knit next 3 stitches from the left needle…
…and then knit the 3 stitches from the cable stitch holder.
Pattern
Cast on 63 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place a marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Round 1: K24, place a marker, p3, k9, p3, knit to end of round.
Round 2: Knit to first marker, p3, C6F (see note above), k3, p3, knit to end of round.
Rounds 3-5: Knit to first marker, p3, k9, p3, knit to end of round.
Round 6: Knit to first marker, p3, k3, C6B (see note above), p3, knit to end of round.
Rounds 7-9: Repeat Rounds 3-5.
Repeat rows 2-9 five more times.
Repeat Rounds 2-7 one time.
Loosely bind off knitwise.
Weave in the ends and ta da!
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would this work for adults too?
if it needs to be made larger, how many stitches would you recommend casting on so that the cables will still work out right?
looks like fun to knit.
Hi Susan K,
The cowls I made fit all of us – they are drapier on the boys but are comfortable on Adam (my husband) and I as well. If a loose cowl is desired I would recommend adding stitches in 4's (2 before the cable and 2 after). Each additional 4 stitches will add just over an inch to the circumference but it will also mean that the cowl will not be as long unless you buy a second skein of yarn.
Amy
How many stitches would you suggest I decrease by if I wanted to make this for a young toddler? I presume I should decrease in sets of 4 stitches based on your response to Susan K. I just wondered how many total stitches you would suggest. Thanks!
thanks so much, amy. i want to make one for everyone in the family and i think ill leave the size as is.
Hello Megan.
I don't think I would decrease the number of stitches in the pattern for a toddler, however I might make the cowl a couple inches shorter. I tried one of ours on my nephew who is only a year and a half and it was very cute on him but the length made it bunch up quite a bit around his face which could definitely bother a young child. If you keep the circumference it will also allow the child to wear the cowl for many years.
Amy
Hi Megan,
Do you think this pattern would still work without the braid? I'm a real beginner….
Thanks!
Jennifer
Hello Jennifer,
Of course! The only thing to be aware of is that since stockinette stitch rolls, the edges of your cowl will roll at the top and bottom. The braid prevents it from rolling too much. If you do not want the cowl to roll you can knit the first row, purl the second and repeat this pattern for a few rounds. It will give you a garter stitch border that does not roll. Repeat the border when the cowl is almost complete to prevent the top from curling too. And another small thing is that the cable or braid pulls the fabric in some, so without it, the finished circumference is going to be a bit larger.
Thanks,
Amy
Do you have any other yarn suggestions? Thanks, and great pattern. 🙂
Hi Olivia-
Any heavy worsted weight yarn will work.
Eco Cloud would be soft and lofty: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8065-Cascade-Yarns-Eco-Cloud
Blue Sky Worsted Cotton would be great for anyone who has a wool allergy:
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/721-Blue-Sky-Worsted-Cotton
Or Spud and Chloe worsted for a soft wool and cotton mix that comes in great colors! https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/5886-Spud-Chloe-Sweater
Thanks for your question and please let us know if you need any more help!
Molly
just a quick question as i approach the end of this cowl…
the instructions say to repeat rows 2-9 5 more times and then to do rows 2-7 once.
from the picture, it appears that the repeat was done a total of 5 times and not 5 times more. i only ask because im getting very low on yarn to finish.
thanks
even if its 5 repeats total, i still couldn't get to the end- guess my guage was off.
i went as far as i could (maybe 3 repeats) and then ended on rows 1-7 with a bindoff.
its 10″ rather than 11″, but it looks good.
just wondering if anyone else encountered this problem.
Hello,
great pattern indeed! I am thinking that it would be also nice to make a rib stitch instead of the stockinette. If not to the whole cowl maybe just besides the braid. Do you think I should increase the number of the stitches?
Georgia
Hi Georgia-
You will probably want to increase the stitches. The only way to tell is to do a swatch in the rib that you'd like to use and figure out your gauge.
Thanks so much for writing in!
Molly
Thank you so much for this pattern! I have made several already. Your instructions are so clear and concise. This was my first attempt at cables and with your step by step instructions you made it so easy to follow.
For a looser cowl, I used chunky yarn (Cascade Super Wash Merino Wool), size 11 needles and I increased it by 4 stitches, 2 stitches on either side of the cable, as you suggested.
It's simply the best cowl I have ever made. I can't thank you enough for sharing. <3
Did you really use US#11 needles for this project? I live in Europe and here this would correspond to European size 8 needles which I think are too big for this wool… Please advise. Kind regards!
Hi Catarina,
Thanks for writing in! We did use a US 11 needle or 8mm needle. The gauge the we were getting using this yarn and needle combination is 3 1/2 stitches equals 1 inch in stockinette stitch. If you are not getting proper gauge with these needles, you can certainly go up or down a needle size to get the required the gauge for this lovely cowl.
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
Thank you so much for your answer! I’ll try with 8mm needles and compare the gauge. It will be my first braided project… hope to succeed. Kind regards!
Catarina
I was thinking of making with with merino bloom. I know this would be a different look (and I’d have to add more stitches), but would it work? Thx.
Debra
Hi Debra,
Thanks for reaching out! Cashmere Merino Bloom would certainly work for this pattern! You will have to adjust the needle size and cast on amount but that should be fairly easy to sort out! Our tutorial All About Gauge is an excellent resource to use when re-gauging patterns!
Please let us know how this works out!
All the best,
Gianna
How about serpentina (manos del) Uruguay ?
Debra
Hi Debra,
Thanks for reaching out! Serpentina would be an excellent option for this pattern! Be sure to work up a gauge swatch before beginning to insure that your gauge with Serpentina is consistent with the pattern!
All the best,
Gianna
Thanks, Gianna. I think I’ll try them both!
Debra