Syncopated Cowl
One of the beauties of hand made yarn is the uniqueness of each and every skein. Hand spun, hand dyed, or undyed, the feeling that comes with discovering each skein’s character is always good. Purl Soho’s new Shepherdess Alpaca is full of that good feeling!
Our Syncopated Cowl is inspired by Shepherdess Alpaca’s surprises. Instead of evenly placed stripes, or even thoughtfully random ones, I rolled a die to let luck lead the way. The number of main color rounds between contrast color stripes was literally left up to the roll of the dice!
If you love the yarn used in this project, you’ll love all of our other yarn, too! Explore our 35+ lovingly created yarn collections, in nearly every natural fiber and spectacular color you can imagine… Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn shop!
The syncopation of truly random striping is pushed even further by using the color Bantam Hen for the stripes and classic Heirloom White for the main color. When the contrast yarn sometimes blends with the background color, coming in and out of focus, the effect is like an unexpected beat. Fun, surprising, and beautiful, make some music of your own with our Syncopated Cowl! -Jake
Originally designed by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Jake’s designs!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoSyncopatedCowl. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- Main Color (MC): 4 skeins of Purl Soho’s Shepherdess Alpaca, 100% undyed, handspun alpaca. Each skein is approximately 60 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 240 yards required. We used Heirloom White.
- Contrast Color (CC): 1 skein of Shepherdess Alpaca; approximately 55 yards required. We used Bantam Hen.
- US 13 (9mm), 40- or 47-inch circular needles
- 1 stitch marker
Gauge
Unblocked: 9 stitches and 12 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Blocked: 10 stitches and 16 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Size
Finished dimensions: 11 ½ inches high and 55 inches in circumference
Notes
For our cowl we rolled a die to randomize our single round stripes, but if you’d prefer to follow our stripe sequence, here it is!
1 round in MC
1 round in CC
2 rounds in MC
1 round in CC
2 rounds in MC
1 round in CC
6 rounds in MC
1 round in CC
3 rounds in MC
1 round in CC
2 rounds in MC
1 round in CC
4 rounds in MC
1 round in CC
1 round in MC
1 round in CC
4 rounds in MC
1 round in CC
2 rounds in MC
1 round in CC
Pattern
Begin
With the MC, cast on 125 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Knit 3 rounds.
Purl 4 rounds.
Next Round: Work Cording Stitch…
*Use the tip of the right needle to pick up the purl bump four rounds directly below next stitch…
…Place it on the left needle, knit the next stitch and picked-up stitch together, repeat from * to end of round.
Continue
Joining CC…
**With CC, knit 1 round.
Next Round(s): Roll a die. With MC, knit the number of rounds shown on the die. At the start of each round, with MC in back, knit the first stitch of the round with the CC, then continue to knit the round with MC. (This creates a vertical column of CC stitches at the join, rather than the usual “jog” that happens when you work stripes in the round.)
NOTE: To make your cowl exactly like ours, instead of rolling a die, follow our stripe sequence in the Notes section, above.
Repeat from ** until piece measures 10 inches from cast-on edge or 1 1/2 inches less than desired height.
Cut CC.
Finish
With MC, knit 1 round.
Purl 4 rounds.
Work the Cording Stitch as described in the Work Cording Stitch section, above.
Knit 3 rounds.
Bind Off: Loosely bind off in knit stitch.
Weave in the ends and block, if desired. (A light steaming should do!)
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I love this yarn and I would like to make the mountain cowl, how much of this yarn do I need?
Hi Rosemary,
Thanks for writing in! The Mountain Capelet uses either, 5, 6, 7 or 8 skeins of this lovely yarn. All of the specifications for the mountain cowl can be found here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2017/02/08/mountain-capelet-in-shepherdess-alpaca/
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi- I have a question about the question above LOL….It seems she was asking about the MOUNTAIN COWL made with this yarn but the link takes you to the MOUNTAIN CAPELET….
I too would like to make the Mountain Cowl in this yarn and would like to know how many skeins to purchase!
Thanks!
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for writing in! You are correct! I do refer to the Mountain Caplet above. When Shepherdess came out, we rewrote the Mountain Caplet to accommodate the smaller gauge of the the Shepherdess yarn. The Mountain Cowl would require reworking of the pattern to use this thinner yarn and I will certainly pass that request on. If you would like to make this cowl slightly larger, you could certainly knit more rows between the two edges to get a similar size. However, the slant that is present on the Mountain Cowl would not be present. To get a cowl that is 15 inches high using Sherpherdess, you will need 7 skeins.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Beautiful yarn and I am eager to make this cowl. I’m a bit confused how to do the cording stitch. Is there a video or a place you can direct me for further instruction?
Thank you
Hi Sharon,
Thank you so much for your kind words! We are very excited about this new yarn as well! Currently, we do not have a video for the cording stitch. We will certainly keep your request in mind for future videos! With this stitch, I find it helpful to try it on a swatch while saying the directions out loud to myself. I know it sounds a bit silly but I have found it to be very helpful when I am trying new technique!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
This new yarn looks amazing can’t wait to try it! If I wanted to make this in just one color would I need 4 or 5 skeins? Also how do you think this would look made only using Bantam Hen?
Hi Nicole,
Thanks for writing in! I think that the cowl would look great in a single color! You would probably get a similar look to the Drift Vest, as far as color goes. You will need 5 skeins of the one color!
Best,
Cassy
Re the cord stitch, am I picking up one purl st four sts below , then transferring that to the left needle and then knitting the next stitch and picked up purl stitch together? Sorry if this sounds stupid, but I’ve never done this before? Thanks.
What do you mean by “roll a die”?
Hi Grace,
Thanks for writing in! You have it correct! I know it sounds a bit silly but I have found it to be very helpful when I am trying new technique!
As for rolling a die, we took a six sided die from a set of dice for playing games and rolled it. The resulting number was what we used to determine how many white stripes would be knit before the next color stripe.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
My daughter can;t wear alpaca because the “fuzzies” bother her contact lenses. What could I substitute?
Hi Dot,
Thank you for writing in!
This yarn is comparable to our Super Soft Merino which would make a fine substitute.
I hope this will work for you!
Jake
Hello,
In regards to the cording stitch it might be helpful for people to know that you are asking knitters to pick up the purl stitch in the back of the piece below the next stitch. Correct?
thank you,
Sandra
Hi Sandra,
Thanks for writing in!
The pattern asks you to pick up the purl bump in the back of the piece which 4 rows down below the next stitch. You will see 4 rows of knit stitches and then a purl bump, which is what you will be picking up.
I hope this clarifies this step!
Thank you!
Jake
Hi….This is much too wide for me (and my very short neck). Any suggestions re: downsizing? Also, is there a non-bulky option? I am not in a cold part of the country. Thanks. . . love the look of this yarn.
Hi Pat,
Thanks for writing in. Since this cowl is knit in the round you can stop at any point to accommodate for any neck height. We don’t offer this pattern in a thinner weight yarn but you can peruse our cowl patterns under the “knit accessories” section to find something similar. Let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Adam
Is the model in this photo wearing two of the cowls? Or is it double around her neck? I love the look! But I wonder if there’s more that I need to do in order to imitate.
Thanks!
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for writing in! Our lovely model is wearing just one cowl that has been wrapped twice. The length of this generous cowl allows you to wrap it twice comfortably!
Best,
Cassy
Love your site and the free patterns with straight forward directions! I am a beginner knitter and I’m a bit confused about the weights of your yarns. Gentle Giant says super bulky with 1 1/2 stitches to the inch, Shepherdess says bulky with 2 1/4-3 stitches to the inch. Shepherdess looks much bulkier than what I see in yarn shops as bulky (#5). How do I decide which yarn will work for the pattern if I’m not getting your yarns? I am practicing with less expensive yarns, though not cheap!, before I order Purlsoho yarns.
Hi Deborah,
Thanks for writing in! When substituting yarns, I like to look at the recommended gauge rather than the classification! Classifications like fingering weight or worsted weight or bulky are all ranges of gauge. I start by looking around that range but then checking the gauge. So to replace Shepherdess, I would suggest starting to look at bulky yarns but then check that the bulky you choose comes in at a gauge of 2.25 – 3 stitches per inch on a US 10-13. I like to think of the classification as a good place to start looking but depending on how any particular company classifies their yarn, you may need to go up or down in classification based on the gauge.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hello! I bought the yarn, but would rather make a scarf. Can you follow the same directions without joining? Thx!
Hi Missy,
Thanks for writing in! You certainly can knit a scarf version of this cowl. I would suggest knitting the scarf in garter rather than stockinette to prevent curling. You will also need to knit 2 rows of a color for each stripe in order to always begin and end on the same side to get a consistent look in the fabric. You can knit the long way by casting on 158 stitches to yield a 7 x 71 inch scarf. Alternately, you could cast on 17 stitches and knit the scarf the short way. Either version would be lovely!
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
Great patterns
I am currently attempting this cowl, but am confused on how to do this cord stitch. I find the written instruction confusing – in first stitch, am I picking up purl bump (on next stitch) from back of work – from the last knit row and bringing it 4 rows (to put on left needle)?
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out, and I hope I can clarify this step! If you look at the wrong side of your work, you should see four rows of the knit side of stockinette. You will be picking up the purl bumps immediately below these rows and knitting them together with the stitches on the needle so that the stockinette portion is folded in half, creating a ridge or hem. The technique is almost identical to the one used in our Knit Hem tutorial, so hopefully that video is helpful!
Best,
Julianna
I am a dancer/choreographer. “Chance Dance”–choreography using dice or the “I Ching” has been prevalent in contemporary dance since the 1960’s. I have used the I Ching often in my choreography and I have tried the concept with knitting–but haven’t been as successful. So, I tried this pattern and I LOVE the outcome. I am a little concerned that I am the only one who appreciates my new
‘chance dance’ cowl, but I’m going to show it to my choreography students tomorrow. Who knows? Anyway, I like it, and I think I will be using it a lot. New project: chance dance and chance knitting on the same stage. We shall see.
Hello yarn guru’s
I made this syncopated cowl a few years ago with the shepardess alpaca which is sadly no longer available. Would like to make the cowl again. Which of your yarns would you suggest to give similar look and feel.
Thanks for your help.
Gail
Hi Gail,
Thanks for reaching out! The closest substitutes to Shepherdess Alpaca are Super Soft Merino and Lovebird. We’ve actually redesigned a few old patterns originally in Shepherdess Alpaca for these two newer yarns, so I can say for sure that either of them will work for the Syncopated Cowl as well!
All the best,
Lili