Our Floats Cowl may be even more beautiful than a photograph can convey. There’s much more to this simple cowl than meets the digital eye. In fact, it’s what it isn’t… loud, wacky, complicated… that makes it so special.
Named for the “floating” slip-stitched strands that form vertical columns on one side, the Floats Cowl is knit in the round in a crazy-simple 2-round stitch pattern.
Knit up with just 3 skeins of our incredible Season Alpaca, this cozy, soft baby alpaca fabric wraps twice around, like a swaddling blanket for your neck!
There’s no right side to a Floats Cowl: both sides are lovely. And while it is really simple to make, it is truly intriguing to the knitter’s eye!
This project designed for Purl Soho by Jake Canton.
Materials
- 3 skeins of Purl Soho’s Season Alpaca, 100% baby alpaca. We used Heirloom White.
- US 4, 40- or 47-inch circular needles
Gauge
Unblocked: 26 stitches = 4 inches in stitch pattern
Blocked: 24 stitches = 4 inches
Size
One Size
- Unblocked Circumference: 50 inches
- Finished Circumference: 54 inches
- Finished Height: 11 inches
Notes
You will knit this project in the round inside out, meaning that the side of the fabric facing you as you work will be the “wrong side.” Both sides are beautiful, but we’re calling the side with the horizontal bars of slipped stitches the “right side.”
All slipped stitches are slipped purlwise.
To change the finished circumference, cast on any multiple of 4 stitches.
Pattern
Cast on 324 stitches. Do not join to work in the round.
Set-Up Row: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of row.
Keeping the same side facing you, place marker and join to work in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Round 1: *K2, slip 2 with yarn in back, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 2: *K2, p2, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until piece measures 11 inches from cast-on edge, or desired height.
Bind off purlwise.
Weave in the ends and block, if desired.
PRINT
I love this pattern, however, I prefer to knit with larger needles/thicker yarn. Would this pattern work using Alpaca Pure? Or, would the “floating” slipped stitches be too large? If this would work, do you have a suggested cast on for the cowl? Which size circular needle do you recommend? Thank you.
Hello Lindsay,
Thank you for writing in. Using a chunkier yarn will change the look of this cowl quite a bit, however it could be interesting! If you have any Heavy Worsted or Aran weight yarn in your stash you could make a little swatch to see how it would turn out.
If you do choose to go this route you will want to knit a gauge swatch to figure out how many stitches per inch you are getting. You can then use this number to figure out how many stitches to cast on.
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any further questions.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
I would love to knit a matching cap/hat. Do you think it’s possible to knit a ribbed bottom edge, then start the pattern and decrease toward the top? I would think the decrease might be the trickiest part. (I am not a very experienced knitter.) Any suggestions? Thank you.
Hi Virginia,
Great idea! This lovely stitch pattern works over any multiple of 4 stitches, so you could certainly add the texture to a hat. The decrease would be challenging indeed. On the one hand, you could stop the textured section when you get to the crown and work it in stockinette. On the other, you could try to work out how decreases might work while minimally affecting the pattern. This would require a fair bit of trial and error but if you are up for the challenge, you could give it a try. Your best bet is to find a plain hat pattern that uses the same gauge yarn and whose cast on is a multiple of 4 to add in the texture.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I successfully made this as a hat. When I got to the top and wanted to begin shaping it I did as follows:
On a row in which you would K2, then slip 2 purlwise, I SSK, slip 2 purlwise* to the end of the row
Next row K1, P2tog* to end of the row
Next row SSK to the end of the row
Continue SSK rows until you have approx 6-7 stitches left, bring yarn through remaining stitches and tie off
Hi Laura,
How exciting! Thank you so much for sharing!
Best,
Cassy
What soft wool yarn would you recommend for me, since alpaca is a bit itchy when I wear it against my skin?
Thankmyou.
Hello Betsy,
Thank you for writing us! I think this cowl could be beautiful in our Mulberry Merino . This yarn is slightly thicker than our Season Alpaca, but it should still come out beautifully. I would just knit up a little gauge swatch before jumping in to prevent any surprises along the way.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I love this pattern and am about to begin working it. I’m sorry if you’ve already answered this question, but are the stitches slipped knitwise or purlwise? Thank you!
Hi Kathryn,
Thank you for your kind words! The stitches are all slipped purlwise.
Happy knitting!
Carly
If I were to knit in the merino wool, how many skeins would I need and what size needles.
Hi Connie,
Thanks for writing in! You can certainly use an alternate yarn here. If you let us know which yarn you would like to use, we would be happy to help you figure out how many skeins you will need!
Best,
Cassy
Could I use 50% baby Alpaca/50% merino wool DK wool for this? I have 6 x 50g balls.
Many thanks
Hello Pip,
Thank you for reaching out! I would recommend knitting up a little gauge swatch to see how many stitches per inch you are getting. This cowl has a gauge of, unblocked, 26 stitches per 4 inches in stitch pattern and blocked, 24 stitches per 4 inches. Once you know what gauge you are getting with your yarn, you can figure out if you need to go up or down in needle size. It sounds like you have the perfect amount of yarn, so I say go for it!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
dows you stitch count change when being blocked? Inthe above comment you said gauge has unblocked,26 stitches per 4″ and 24 stitches blocked per 4″. How do you loose 2 stitches when you block? I don’gt understand this. I can understand it will shrink a bit when blocked but 2 stitches disappear? Than you for clarifying
Hello Brenda,
Thank you for writing in. When blocked this cowl will grow approximately 4″, so it will go from 50″ to 54″. This means your gauge will go from 26 stitches per 4″ ( unblocked) to 24 stitches per 4″ (blocked).
I hope this clarifies things for you.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Is there a plant based yarn that could be used with this pattern to get the same gauge?
Hello Mari,
Thank you for reaching out! I think this cowl would be lovely in our Cotton Pure yarn.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
What type of cast on do you recommend for this cowl?
Hi Mari,
Thanks for writing in! Unless otherwise noted, we like to use the long tail cast on. We think that it makes a neat and flexible cast on edge!
Best,
Cassy
I love this pattern and even bought the suggested yarn. I keep twisting my stitches ugh! Anyway, I’m sure it’s obvious to a seasoned knitter but why not join in the round for row 1? Thanks!
Hi Megan,
Thanks for writing in! For us, working the foundation round flat as opposed to joining in the round, helps you get a base that helps prevents twisting the stitches before joining in the round. You certainly can join straight away but we do think that it helps to have a row already knit to make the twisting more evident. I also like to lay the work down on a table and make sure that no stitches are twisted before I pick up and join in the round!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hi! I’m knitting this beautiful cowl and I messed up a few things here and there a few rows down. How do I tink down to fix a spot where I purled 2 instead of slipping 2?
Hi Rebecca,
I would recommend unraveling back to where you made the mistake. Slipped stitches are a little tricky to hide if you make a mistake.
Best,
Carly
Could this beautiful pattern be made into a scarf/wrap by just not knitting in the round?
Hi Judi,
Thank you for your question and interest in knitting a scarf or wrap version of this cowl! In order to fit the cowl on straight needles, you will be knitting the floats so that they run perpendicular to the the bottom edge instead of parallel as seen above.
To do so, cast on 50 stitches and work:
Row 1 (right side row): *Purl 2, knit 2, repeat from * until last 2 stitches, purl 2
Row 2 (wrong side row): *Knit 2, slip 2 wyib, repeat from * until last 2 stitches, knit 2
Knit until the piece measures 72 inches from the cast on and then cast off as above and sew the ends together.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Thanks for providing the pattern for knitting this on straight needles as opposed to knitting in the round. As a fairly new knitter this is always a bit tricky for me to figure out – you saved me a lot of time that I can now use for knitting!
Forgot to ask… I am not certain why the floats change direction since knitting in the same orientation as the cowl; nevertheless, if I wanted them to float parallel to the bottom edge (so the “ribs” run the length of the scarf) would you recommend casting on the long length?
Thank you, Heidi
Hi Heidi,
Thanks for the question! As there are two ways to do this, one a more traditional scarf where you cast on the short end and one a less traditional scarf where you cast on the full length, the floats will align differently depending on which way you cast on! If you would like the floats to be parallel to the long side of the scarf, you will cast on the long way. If you would like the floats to be parallel to the short side, you will cast on the short way.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
Hi, do you have a specific type of cast on you would recommend? I know the long tail cast on really well but find that I usually have to cast on and start a few rows to work out if the tension is correct and not to tight before continuing. Thank you! For all your patterns, Lauren
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for writing in! For most of our projects, we like the long tail cast on and did use it here. We find that it makes a reliably neat and tidy cast on. If you find that you have difficulties with the long tail cast on and getting a good tension, you can try the traditional backward loop cast on or any other cast on that you find works for you! The beautiful thing about crafting is that you can change things to work for you and make you happy! If you have a cast on that you like best, I’d give that a try here!
Best,
Cassy
I was considering doing this cowl in Trout Brown. How do you think it would look in a darker color? Would the beautiful stitch pattern show up or do you think a lighter color works better?
Hi Amy,
Thanks for writing in! I think that this cowl would be lovely in Trout Brown. This color is not so dark that you won’t still see the lovely stitch pattern!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hello, I’m so excited to make this! I only have one skein of Season Alpaca, and was wondering how many stitches you would recommend casting on for a single loop cowl?
Thank you!
Chloe
Hi Chloe,
Thanks for writing in! A single wrap cowl can range from 18-22 inches depending on how close you would like it too fit, how drapey the fabric is and how stretchy you stitch pattern is. I would try a 19 inch circumference to start out with being sure to try it on as you go. You could also take a scrap piece of fabric and measuring how you would like it to fit on you. Just be sure to leave enough slack to be able to get the cowl over your head!
If you only have 1 skein, if you make a 19 inch version, you will not be able to get the 11 inch height that we got here. I would wager that it would be closer to 9 inches high. For a 19 inch circumference, you cast on will be 112 stitches.
I do hope that this helps!
Cassy
Hello –
Thank you for the beautiful patterns – I’ve made many! I was in your store this weekend and purchased Season Alpaca to make this pattern in the scarf version, as described in previous comments. I’m noticing the ends are curling in as I’m progressing in length. Any thoughts on how to manage this?
Thank you,
Mara
Hi Mara,
When you block your scarf the edges should not curl as much.
I hope this helps,
Melissa
Was your gauge obtained by swatching in the round or flat? Thank you.
Hello Donna,
Thank you for reaching out! I would recommend swatching in the round to obtain the most accurate gauge.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I love this! Thank you for the pattern. I would love to make this as a cowl but not as a double wrap. How many skeins would I need and how many stitches would I cast on? Would your new “good wool” work for this? Brooklyn Tweed Arbor? Cascade 220? Or Manos Maxima? I’m not a big fan of alpaca. Thank you!!
Hello Dana,
Thanks for writing in! A single wrap cowl can range from 18-22 inches depending on how close you would like it too fit, how drapey the fabric is and how stretchy you stitch pattern is. I would try a 19 inch circumference to start out with being sure to try it on as you go. You could also take a scrap piece of fabric and measuring how you would like it to fit on you. Just be sure to leave enough slack to be able to get the cowl over your head. You will need two skeins and a cast on of 112 stitches (for 19″).
This cowl’s gauge will work with our Mulberry and Merino, Brooklyn Tweed’s Arbor, or Cascade 220 Sport.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello!
I was wondering if this cowl would work well in the new Good Wool? I bought two of the 5 skein bundles, and am very excited to use them. I will definitely make a swatch to check, but if you had any suggestions on needle size I would really appreciate it! I’m very new to knitting, but I’ve been learning a lot through your site. I appreciate the help!
Thank you!
Hello Kelsey,
Thank you for reaching out! I think this cowl would be beautiful in our Good Wool. Because Good Wool is a thicker yarn than we used I would suggest going up in needle size and down on cast on (if you would like your cowl to have the same dimensions as ours). I would try this yarn out on a US6 needle.
I hope this helps and let me know if you have any further questions!
Warmly,
Marilla
I’m about to try this lovely pattern.
I’ll be doing it flat, on 2 needles – following Cassy’s instructions on 11th December 2017.
I’m new to slipping stitches and my question is – do you slip both stitches (purlwise) together; i.e. in one movement, or one at a time? or doesn’t it make any difference.
I’d be most grateful for your help and thanks in advance.
Hello!
For this pattern you can slip them purlwise at the same time or one at a time.
I hope this helps!
Carly
Before I officially knit my swatch, I wanted to get your expertise! Do you think 160 stitches in worsted weight yarn on size 7 needles would be enough to wrap the scarf twice?
Thank you!
Hello Willow,
Thank you for reaching out! This will really depend on how many stitches per inch you are getting from your swatch. I would knit up your watch and then you will want to multiply the number of stitches per inch you are getting by 50 to get your cast on number. You will just make to be sure that your cast on is a multiple of four before jumping in.
I hope this all makes sense and let us know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
I want to knit this is 8ply yarn and on straight needles.
Can you give me an idea of approx number of of stitches to cast on, and what size needles (in mm, as I am from Australia ).
I’m a novice knitter so am keen to give this a go.
Hello Kerry,
Thank you for reaching out! Are you planning on knitting this as a scarf, or knitting it flat and then seeming it up to create a cowl? For an 8ply yarn or DK weight yarn, I would go up to a size 3.75mm or 4mm to get the right texture. The width that you would like will determine how many stitches to cast on. Once you decided this you will multiply the number of stitches per inch you are getting by the desired width and this will give you your cast on number just making sure it is a multiple of 2 plus 2.
To work this pattern flat you will need to make a couple of small changes to the original pattern- here is how to do it;
Row 1 (right side row): *Purl 2, knit 2, repeat from * until last 2 stitches, purl 2
Row 2 (wrong side row): *Knit 2, slip 2 wyib, repeat from * until last 2 stitches, knit 2
I hope this all helps and let me know If I can Clarify any thing for you!
-Marilla
Thanks for your quick reply. I would like to knit this as a double loop. My store bought cowls are approx. 11 inches wide which is a good size. How long should I knit this before halving and sewing into a loop? Do you suggest I so a sample of this pattern by casting on a multiple of 4 stitches (eg 36 or 40) and knitting say 10 rows to see how many stitches I am getting per inch? If get 8 stitches per inch then do I cast on 88 stitches for an 11 inch wide cowl?
I know that’s lots of questions for you but I really appreciate your help.
Cheers,
Kerry
Hello Kerry,
thank you for your questions! Yes, I would recommend knitting up a gauge swatch to see how many stitches per inch you are getting. It sounds like you are right on track! As far as how long to knit it, that is really up to you, our cowl has a circumference of 50″ and has a snug double wrap.
I hope this helps and let us know how it goes!
-Marilla
I have only 2 skeins of season alpaca. Will this still work?
Hi Joanne,
Thanks for writing in! You can make this cowl with just two skeins, but we did use almost all of three skeins for our sample, so yours will turn out about a third narrower. I think it would still be a lovely warm cowl when worn wrapped several times around ones neck!
Best,
Julianna
I have some Malibrigo Rios yarn and wanted to know what size needle and how many stitches I would need to cast on to make the Floats Cowl using the Malibrigo yarn. I was not sure how to adjust the pattern with this yarn so any help would be appreciated, thanks.
Hello Nancy,
Thanks for reaching out! Because Malibrigo Rios is a worsted weight yarn I would try knitting this cowl on a US8 needle. To figure out a good cast on number you will just need to knit up a gauge swatch and then multiply the number of stitches per inch you are getting by 50 (the circumference of the finished cowl) to get your cast on number. You will just make to be sure that your cast on is a multiple of four before jumping in.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla