Bandana Cowl In Plenty
Sometimes you want all the snappy style of a bandana without the fuss of knots and folds, one that stays in place and drapes perfectly without your having to fiddle with it. We’re happy to report that our Bandana Cowl fills the bill!
You knit this one in the round, starting with a garter stitch edge, then using a center double decrease and some short rows to shape the point that makes a bandana a bandana. Some simple decreases on the way to the top ensure a cozy fit!
The Bandana Cowl has been a favorite pattern of ours for years, and we’re revisiting it now to give it the very special Plenty treatment. As un-scratchy as wool gets, this 100% extra fine merino is soft and squishy with a distinctive spin and very lively bounce.
Oh, and it only takes one skein of Plenty to whip up a Bandana Cowl… Casting on now!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoBandanaCowl and #PurlSohoPlenty. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Plenty, 100% extra fine merino wool. Each skein is 139 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 139 yards required. We used the colors Red Plum and Ash Gray.
- US 10 (6.0 mm), 16-inch circular needles
- Stitch markers
GAUGE
16 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
NOTE: We used a full skein to make this cowl. To avoid running short, please re-use your swatch yarn, double check your gauge, and be conservative with tails!
SIZE
Finished Neck Opening: 17¼ inches circumference, comfortably stretching up to 5 inches
Finished Height From Point: 13½ inches
NOTES
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
Slip Slip Knit Pass (S2KP)
Slip 2 stitches together knitwise with yarn in back, knit 1, pass the 2 slipped stitches over the knit stitch. [2 stitches decreased]
For more help with this technique, please visit our Slip Slip Knit Pass tutorial.
SHORT ROW SHAPING: WRAP AND TURN (WRP-T)
On the right side: Keeping yarn in back, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle. Bring yarn to front. Return slipped stitch to left needle. Bring yarn to back. Turn work so wrong side is facing you.
On the wrong side: Keeping yarn in front, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle. Bring yarn to back. Return slipped stitch to left needle. Bring yarn to front. Turn work so right side is facing you.
For a step-by-step video and photo tutorial of how to work this technique, including how to work wrapped stitches with their wraps, please visit our Short Rows: Wrap + Turn Tutorial tutorial.
PATTERN
BEGIN
Cast on 89 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place marker (pm) and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Round 1: Purl to end of round.
Round 2: K43, s2kp (see Special Instructions, above), knit to end of round. [87 stitches]
Round 3: P42, s2kp, purl to end of round. [85 stitches]
Round 4: K41, s2kp, knit to end of round. [83 stitches]
Round 5: P40, s2kp, purl to end of round. [81 stitches]
WORK BANDANA POINT
NOTE: In this section you will be working back and forth in short rows, turning the work partway through each row. For extra help, see Special Instructions.
Short Row 1 (right side): K42, wrp-t (see Special Instructions).
Short Row 2 (wrong side): P3, wrp-t.
Short Row 3: Knit to wrapped stitch, knit wrapped stitch with its wrap, k1, wrp-t.
Short Row 4: Purl to wrapped stitch, purl wrapped stitch with its wrap, p1, wrp-t.
Repeat Short Rows 3 and 4 eighteen more times. (Don’t worry if you lose count; you’ll know you’re done when you wrap and turn the stitches right next to the marker!)
Next Round (partial round): Knit to end of round, knitting wrapped stitch with its wrap.
Now working in the round again, knit 2 rounds even, knitting remaining wrapped stitch with its wrap.
DECREASE TO TOP
Set-Up Round: K18, pm, k45, pm, knit to end of round.
Decrease Round: Knit to 2 stitches before first marker, knit 2 together, slip marker (sm), knit to next marker, sm, slip slip knit, knit to end of round. [2 stitches decreased]
Continuing in stockinette stitch (knitting each round), repeat Decrease Round every 4th round 5 more times, then knit 3 rounds even. [69 stitches remain]
Next Round: Purl to end of round.
Next Round: Knit to end of round.
Repeat last 2 rounds one more time.
Bind off very loosely, purlwise.
FINISHING
Weave in ends and gently wet block.
is there a cotton that would work with this pattern
Hi Robin,
Thanks for reaching out. Blue Sky Fibers’s Worsted Cotton (which is 100% cotton), Lantern (which is linen-wrapped cotton), and Campo (which is 50% cotton and 50% wool) would all work amazingly for this pattern! As always, we recommend making a gauge swatch before starting a project to be sure you’re working with the right needles, especially when substituting yarns. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
What if you would like to knit it flat Do you have instructions for that? Thank-you.
Hi Char,
Thanks for reaching out. I’m afraid that we haven’t created a version of this pattern that’s knit flat. But I think that’s a great idea, so please let us know how it goes if you end up trying it out!
All the best,
Lili
Last time I made the Bandana Cowl, it was too small for my 22 inch head. Any suggestions on how to make it wider?
Hi Sandy,
Thanks for reaching out. To make this cowl larger, you can cast on more stitches at the beginning! You can figure out how many stitches you’ll need in total by first knitting a gauge swatch in pattern. Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width that you would like and cast on the nearest odd number.
Then, you can essentially follow the pattern as written, but keep in mind that the specific stitch counts given on each row are meant for a cast-on of 89, and won’t work for the number you cast on. However, you can think of them as in relation to the total stitch count. So for example, on Round 1, the 43 knit stitches is (89-3)/2. You can figure out how many stitches you need to knit on this round by subtracting 3 from your total stitch count and dividing the resulting number by 2.
One final thing to consider is that this pattern, as written, uses nearly a full skein of Plenty! So you will definitely need to use 2 skeins in order to make it larger. I hope this information is helpful as you plan your project!
All the best,
Lili
I love this-could someone please convert the pattern for crochet?
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for writing in. I think a crochet version of this cowl would be lovely! I’m going to go ahead and pass along your suggestion, and we’ll keep it in mind for the future. Thank you again for sharing your idea!
All the best,
Lili
I LOVE THIS COWL! I have made it dozens of times. I first started making them when I was a beginner knitter and I made myself a cheat sheet for the short rows. After a bit I could do them in my sleep. This makes a fantastic gift. I started making them in acrylic yarns and then graduated to alpaca. Just the best pattern ever for a quick knit project that is easy, fun to give and to receive or to keep for yourself! This Plenty yarn certainly looks inviting!
I made t6his cowl years ago and it came out great. Now I am struggling with the s2kp. On the purl side you still doit as a s2kp?
ty for your help
Hi Roberta,
Thanks for writing in. In this pattern, the s2kp is only worked on the right side of the work! Even though you’re purling most of the stitches on Rounds 3 and 5, you’ll still work the s2kp as normal. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
This is really stupid question but I don’t knit much. The Bandana Cowl pattern says to start with the edging and then directions for short row section. The section called Bandana Point is clear – you only knit/purl a few stitches after wrap and turn. But the tutorial says to do the W&T THEN knit/or purl to end of row.
So in that B. Point section, you’re only doing a W&T and knitting 1-3 stitches before W&T again, not working to end of row. Is that correct? Or am I supposed to complete the row after W&T. Otherwise you’re W&Ting every three or so stitches. I need help!
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks for reaching out. In this pattern, after beginning the short row section, you will not be asked to complete a round until Next Round (partial round)! Just follow the instructions on each short row by knitting (or purling) the indicated number of stitches and then working the wrap + turn. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
My 3 years old son fell in love with this cowl and he would like that I knit one for him! Could you please provide us with the pattern for kids size? Thanks!
Hi Laetitia,
Thanks for reaching out. I’m sorry to say that we have not made this design in kids’ sizes yet, but that’s a great idea! I’ll pass along your suggestion to see if it’s something we could add in the future.
All the best,
Lili
I am with Cheryl. I have looked at the tutorials and the wrap and turns are not working for me. I am so discouraged I am putting the knitting in the closet for a while. It seems like such a simple pattern for 1 ball of yarn, but I hate to say I’m giving up.
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for writing in, and I’m sorry to hear that you’re having trouble with wrap + turn short rows! I’d be happy to help clarify that technique for you. Is there anything in particular that is giving you difficulty?
Alternatively, many knitters find German short rows easier to do, and you can absolutely substitute them in in place of the wrap + turns! To do so, you would just need to knit one additional stitch before making the double stitch. So for example, if the pattern says “knit 3 stitches, wrap and turn,” you’ll actually need to “knit 4 stitches, make double stitch.”
I’ll keep an eye out for your reply, and I’d be happy to go more into depth explaining wrap + turns!
All the best,
Lili
Hi Lili,
Thank you for your reply. I went to a yarn shop and took a lesson. It is figured out and it came out great. I honestly didn’t realize you offered support or I would have set something up. That is a great offer and most appreciated. Thanks for taking care of us ! 🙂