Right Before Christmas Cowl
We may enjoy knits that are long, meandering walks, but every now and then we find ourselves in a sprint to the finish line!
If you’re in a too-many-gifts-not-enough-time situation, our Right Before Christmas Cowl is one heck of a sprinter… And a wonderful gift, too!
In classic double seed stitch, this cowl looks remarkably woven, like a willow basket but a whole lot softer! A couple of knit-stitch columns in the back allow for neat decreases and a cozy fit.
The softness, the beauty, and the speed are owing to our gorgeous Gentle Giant! One hundred percent merino wool, this gently spun single-ply yarn knits up in a snap on US 19 needles. You just need two skeins and hardly any time at all!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Jake’s designs!
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoRightBeforeChristmasCowl, and #PurlSohoGentleGiant. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Gentle Giant, 100% merino wool. Each skein is approximately 48 yards/125 grams; approximately 79 yards required. We used the color Periwinkle Blue.
- US 19 (15/16 mm), 24-inch circular needles
- A stitch marker
Gauge
5¼ stitches and 8¾ rounds = 4 inches in stitch pattern
7 stitches and 9 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Size
- Finished Circumference At Bottom: 30½ inches
- Finished Circumference At Top: 26 inches
- Finished Height: 10 inches
Notes
Stitch Multiple
This pattern works over an even number of stitches.
Pattern
Cast on 40 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Set-Up Round: *K1, p1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2.
Rounds 1 and 2: K2, *p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Rounds 3 and 4: *K1, p1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2.
Round 5: K2, *p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 6 (Decrease Round): Slip slip knit (ssk), *p1, k1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, knit 2 together (k2tog). [2 stitches decreased]
Repeat Rounds 1-6 two more times. [34 stitches remaining]
Next Round: K2, *p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Bind-Off Round: K2, pass first stitch over, *p1, pass first stitch over, k1, pass first stitch over, repeat from * to end of round. Cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch.
Weave in ends and steam block.
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This is a beautiful cowl! Would this project be suitable for a novice knitter?
Hi Julie,
Thanks for reaching out! This would be a great project for a novice knitter, the stitch pattern if very simple and straight forward and due to the chunky yarn and large needles it knits up super fast!
All the best,
Gianna
I love the right before Christmas cowl,
I am new to knitting is this something I can do & can it be done with a thinner yarn?
Hi Linda,
Thanks for reaching out! You can certainly knit this cowl using a finer yarn! You will just need to adjust the gauge which should be fairly easy for this pattern! I would recommend working a gauge swatch in the stitch pattern with the yarn you would like to use with an appropriate sized needle and you can calculate the cast on from there. Our All About Gauge tutorial is an excellent resource to use!
All the best,
Gianna
Hi!
This cowl would make a great gift! What yarn might one use if merino is too itchy? Is there anything I could substitute?
Thank you!
Hi Liza,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, we don’t have a yarn similar to Gentle Giant that is not Merino. Although I can assure you that our Gentle Giant is not itchy and is quite soft and lovely to wear! We do have two yarns that are a slightly finer gauge, Lovebird and Manos Del Uruguay Franca that are both superwash merino which some say is much less itchy for people that are sensitive to merino! If you decide to use one of those you will have to adjust the gauge a bit but that should be fairly easy! Our tutorial All About Gauge is an excellent resource to use!
All the best,
Gianna
I think this would be a perfect pattern for my son who just finished his first knit square for learning. Two questions:
1) I don’t have any 19s, what length circular would be ideal.
2) How many stiches to cast on to make a smaller cowl for a child size?
Hi Kasey,
Thanks for reaching out! A 20 or 24-inch circular needle is perfect for this cowl! I think this would be a great beginner project! If you are planning on changing the needles size from a 19 I recommend working up a gauge swatch in the stitch pattern and then you can calculate the stitches per inch from there to determine the cast on based on his measurements.
Our All About Gauge tutorial is an excellent resource to use!
All the best,
Gianna
Hi, I just wanted to update here. I bought the 19 needles and my son started, then decided purling is not for him, he’ll stick with garter stitch thanksbutnothanksmom.
I knit these up quick for the kids though and wanted to share that casting on 30 stitches and doing the repeat once instead of twice is the perfect size for a child’s cowl. I did one with a color change, but I think I could have gotten two out with one skein.
Hi Kasey,
Thanks for reaching out and for sharing your tips with us! Garter stitch is a great alternative to the seed stitch for this cowl, and I’m glad to hear that your son has enjoyed knitting!
All the best,
Gianna
Hi I just purchased the wool for this. I have circular needles that are US 17, 24 inches. Can I use these and if so how will it change the look. DO I have to alter anything in the pattern? Thank you
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for reaching out! A US 17 should work fine with this yarn, it may be a bit tighter knit but should be great! I do recommend working a little gauge swatch in the stitch pattern to asses if you will need to adjust the cast on at all! Our tutorial All About Gauge is an excellent resource to use.
All the best,
Gianna
Hi – I have no experience with circulars and I know everyone says they’re better but is there any way to modify this pattern for straight needles and what gauge yarn should be used?
Thanks
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for reaching out! I do agree that the easiest way to work a project like this is to work on circular needles, however this cowl is knit in a simple double seed stitch so it would be fairly easy to modify to knit on straight needles! Our yarn, Gentle Giant, that we used for this pattern is a super bulky yarn and we used a US 19 to knit this cowl! If you are working on straight needles, casting on horizontally like we did in the pattern will be too many stitches to fit on straight needles so I would recommend casting on vertically and working that direction so it is a more manageable amount of stitches to work across. I would cast on 14 stitch if you are working with the same needle size. You can then work the stitch pattern until you reach your desired length and seam up the two ends together to join in the round!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hello, I just bought this yarn and I’d like to make my 11 year old daughter a cowl like this however with only knit stitch as I can’t do anything more complicated yet. How many stitches would you recommend I cast on for a youth cowl? Thank you! 🙂
Hi Kim,
Thanks for reaching out! I would recommend working a little swatch to calculate your gauge and see how it compares to the gauge of the pattern! Once you figure out your stitches per inch you can calculate your cast on based on her measurements! For example our gauge was 5¼ stitches = 4 inches. Our All About Gauge tutorial is an excellent resource to use!
All the best,
Gianna
Is it possible to knit this as a scarf rather than a cowl? If so, how many skeins would you recommend?
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes you can easily knit this pattern as a scarf rather than cowl since it is a simple double seed stitch pattern! I would recommend buying 4 or 5 skeins depending on how long and wide you want your scarf to be! I would go with 5 to be safe and leave the 5th unwound, if you don’t end up using it you can exchange it for store credit within 6 months!
Happy knitting!
Gianna
Hello,
This is knitting up really nicely and the Gentle Giant yarn is lovely. One question – what’s the best way to join a single ply yarn like this?
Hi Jodi,
Thanks for reaching out! I am so glad to hear that you are enjoying the yarn and the pattern! The most simple way to join a new skein is to add in the ball like we do in our Adding a Ball of Yarn tutorial! You could also check out a technique called Wet Splice (aka Spit Splice) that is a way to join a new skein and also takes care of the ends, this is an excellent technique for single ply yarn!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
My daughters are allergic to wool, what other yarn would you recommend?
Hi Pat,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, we don’t have a yarn of the same gauge as Gentle Giant that is not wool. However, we do carry Blue Sky Worsted Cotton which you could hold double to achieve a similar gauge!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hello, I ordered the yarn, but can’t find my 19 needles! I have 16 – is there anything you’d recommend for using the smaller needles, such as how many stitches to cast on? (newbie) 😉 THANK YOU!
Hi Dorthy,
Thanks for reaching out! Using a smaller than recommended needle will result in a tighter and more dense knit, I would recommend working a gauge swatch with the needles you have and see how you like the fabric and you can also see how to adjust the gauge/cast on from there! Our tutorial All About Gauge is an excellent resource to use!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hello
Using size 19 circular needles and gentle giant wool, I cast on 40 stitches, joined in the round and then proceeded to knit set up round, first round etc. I have now knitted 5 rows and the opening for the head seems so small. I think I may be doing something wrong. Does it sound like I am? What can I do?
Caren
Hi Caren,
Thanks for reaching out! What is the circumference measuring in at? Did you check you gauge prior to starting the pattern? That could be the issue resulting in a smaller circumference! If that happens to be the issue you can easily adjust this by changing your needle size or adding more stitches to the cast on (just remember the pattern works over an even multiple of stitches) Our All About Gauge tutorial is an excellent resource to use!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Can I use comet together with Gentle Giant and expect to get the same gauge? I was thinking of doing this in stripes that mix a couple of rows of comet with some GG solids.
Hi Alicia,
Thanks for reaching out! That sounds like such a great idea! Comet and Gentle Giant should work up to a fairly similar gauge, Comet may be a bit different since the yarn is nobby and has thicker and thiner points but overall should be similar!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
This stitch pattern is so entertaining and educational. I am sorry that I finished it because I had so much fun making it!
Thank you for all of your incredibly wonderful patterns!
How long is the tail for the cast on?
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for reaching out! To figure out where to tie your slip knot, first measure out a length of yarn 3½ times the width of what you plan to make. So for this 30 1/2″-inch wide cowl, measure out approximately 106 inches of yarn, and at that point, make a loop. You can find more tips and tricks for long tail cast on by checking out our Long Tail Cast On tutorial!
I hope this helps!
Gianna
I made one of these as a Christmas gift. Even though I made mistakes, I still was very pleased with the outcome. I have decided I prefer working with chunky yarn versus thin yarn. I am very much an novice knitter. What other projects would you consider as beginner using chunky yarn and the same size needles as this project?
thank you
Hi Mary Ellen,
Thanks for reaching out! I am so happy to hear that your Cowl turned out great! I am also a huge fan on chunky yarns, you can see out entire selection of Jumbo weight projects Here! I would recommend our Edge Of The Universe Scarf, Kaleidoscope Cowl, or Color Flux Scarf but there are so many fun options to choose from that use the same US 19 needles!
I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi there…. I purchased 6 skeins of yarn in three colors. The pattern leaves almost a full skein of each left over – any ideas of what to do with it? I’m thinking about making a shorter version of each color but wanted to see if there were other ideas. Thanks!
Hi Tracy,
Thanks for reaching out! That is a great idea to use the rest of the skeins to make one multi colored Cowl! You could also use the leftover yarn for hats! I would suggest out Homestretch Hat, Two-Color Homestretch Hat or Trio of Color Work Hats!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi!
I have three skeins of gentle giant yarn and like the “Right before Christmas” cowl. How can I adapt that pattern to three skeins – I would prefer to be able to wrap the cowl once, if possible?
Hi Lois,
Thanks for reaching out! The cowl as is, wraps around only once, and adding a 3rd skein wouldn’t be enough to change to wrapping around twice, it would just make it a bit more slouchy. It would be easiest to simply use the 2 skeins so that you can follow the pattern as written without adjusting the cast on amount!
Warmly,
Gianna
I have size 19, 32 inch circular needles is it possible to use this or will it be too tight to finish. Also I could start with these and switch to a 19, 24 inch that I could get from Amazon in one day. Not sure how this would work.
Thank you Belinda
Hi Belinda,
I’d suggest trying it out with the needles you have now. If it’s too tight then you can definitely order the smaller cord. I’d suggest trying out a form of magic loop to see if you can work with the needles you have though. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Gavriella