Tendril Cowl
The winding stitches of our Tendril Cowl twist and turn, like a climbing plant reaching for the sun and warmth. The result it a wonderfully textured fabric that will keep you cozy, even when there’s no sunlight to be found!
With three sizes and the option to follow written or charted instructions, the Tendril Cowl pattern is easy to make your own. If its seeming complexity is causing angst, let’s nip that in the bud… It’s all just knits and purls with a little twist!
The Tendril Cowl’s magnificent texture is enriched by our brand new Hedgerow. Following the centuries-old fiber traditions of County Donegal where it’s made, Hedgerow includes small bits (or “burrs”) of fiber that polka-dot the yarn, making every stitch a surprise!
Hedgerow is 93% merino wool, 3.5% cashmere, and 3.5% mulberry silk, a mix that makes for a softer hand feel than strictly traditional Irish wool, while still celebrating the aesthetic and integrity of Donegal tweeds. Cast on for some lively colorplay and rugged beauty!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Gaby Bush.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoTendrilCowl, and #PurlSohoHedgerow. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 1 (2, 3) skein(s) of Purl Soho’s Hedgerow, 93% merino, 3.5% cashmere, and 3.5% mulberry silk. Each skein of this worsted/aran weight yarn is approximately 243 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 235 (295, 640) total yards required. We used the color Forest Clover.
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 16-, 24-, or 32-inch circular needles, depending on size you are making
- Stitch markers, including one unique
- A cable stitch holder
GAUGE
20 stitches and 30 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
24 stitches and 28 rounds = 4 inches in stitch pattern
SIZES
Adult Once-Around Small (Adult Once-Around Large, Adult Twice-Around)
- Finished Height: 11¾ inches high
- Finished Circumference: 20 (25, 55) inches
Sample: The cowl shown here is the Adult Once-Around Small.
NOTES
STITCH MULTIPLE
This pattern works over a multiple of 30 stitches.
KNIT THROUGH BACK LOOP
Knit all knit stitches through the back loop.
SLIP STITCHES
Slip all slipped stitches purlwise.
CABLES + CROSSES
1/1 LPC + 1/1 RPC (LEFT + RIGHT PURL CROSS)
1/1 LPC (LEFT PURL CROSS): Slip 1 stitch to cable stitch holder and hold in front of work, p1 from left needle, then k1 from cable stitch holder.
1/1 RPC (RIGHT PURL CROSS): Slip 1 stitch to cable stitch holder and hold in back of work, k1 from left needle, then p1 from cable stitch holder.
2/1 LPC + 2/1 RPC (2/1 LEFT + RIGHT PURL CROSS)
2/1 LPC (LEFT PURL CROSS): Slip 2 stitches onto cable stitch holder and hold in front of work, k1 from left needle, slip purl stitch from cable stitch holder back to left needle, p1 from left needle, then k1 from cable stitch holder.
2/1 RPC (RIGHT PURL CROSS): Slip 2 stitches onto cable stitch holder and hold in back of work, k1 from left needle, slip purl stitch from cable stitch holder back to left needle, p1 from left needle, then k1 from cable stitch holder.
C2F + C2B (CABLE 2 FRONT + BACK)
C2F (CABLE 2 FRONT)
Slip 1 knit stitch onto cable stitch holder and hold in front of work, k1 from left needle, then k1 from cable stitch holder.
C2B (CABLE 2 BACK)
Slip 1 knit stitch onto cable stitch holder and hold in back of work, k1 from left needle, then k1 from cable stitch holder.
PATTERN
Using a Long Tail Cast On, cast on 120 (150, 330) stitches.
Place unique marker for end of round and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Work either from Written Instructions or Chart, both below.
NOTE: You may find it helpful to place stitch markers every 30 stitches to mark the pattern repeats. You will work the stitch pattern 4 (5, 11) times total per round.
WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
NOTE: Remember to knit every knit stitch through the back loop (see Notes).
Set-Up Round: *[P1, k1 (see Notes)] 4 times, [p2, k1] 3 times, [p1, k1] 5 times, p2, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 1: *[P1, k1] 4 times, [p2, k1] 3 times, [p1, k1] 5 times, p2, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 2: *[P1, k1] 4 times, [p2, k1] 3 times, [p1, k1] 4 times, p1, 1/1 LPC (see Notes), p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 3: *[P1, k1] 4 times, [p2, k1] 3 times, [p1, k1] 4 times, p2, k1, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 4: *P1, 2/1 LPC (see Notes), [p1, k1] 2 times, [p2, k1] 3 times, p1, k1, p1, 2/1 RPC (see Notes), p1, k1, p1, 1/1 RPC (see Notes), p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 5: *[P1, k1] 3 times, p1, 1/1 LPC, 1/1 RPC, p2, 1/1 LPC, 1/1 RPC, [p1, k1] 5 times, p2, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 6: *[P1, k1] 3 times, p2, C2F (see Notes), p4, C2F, p2, [k1, p1] 4 times, 1/1 LPC, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 7: *[P1, k1] 3 times, p1, 1/1 RPC, 1/1 LPC, p2, 1/1 RPC, 1/1 LPC, [p1, k1] 4 times, p2, k1, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 8: Repeat Round 4.
Round 9: Repeat Round 1.
Round 10: *[P1, k1] 4 times, [p2, k1] 3 times, [p1, k1] 4 times, p1, 1/1 LPC, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 11: Repeat Round 3.
Round 12: *P1, 2/1 LPC, [p1, k1] 2 times, p2, 1/1 LPC, 1/1 RPC, p2, [k1, p1] 2 times, 2/1 RPC, p1, k1, p1, 1/1 RPC, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 13: *[P1, k1] 4 times, p3, C2B (see Notes), p3, [k1, p1] 6 times, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 14: *[P1, k1] 4 times, p2, 1/1 RPC, 1/1 LPC, p2, [k1, p1] 5 times, 1/1 LPC, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 15: Repeat Round 3.
Round 16: Repeat Round 4.
Round 17: Repeat Round 1.
Round 18: Repeat Round 2.
Round 19: *[P1, k1] 3 times, p1, 1/1 LPC, 1/1 RPC, p2, 1/1 LPC, 1/1 RPC, [p1, k1] 4 times, p2, k1, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 20: *P1, 2/1 LPC, p1, k1, p2, C2F, p4, C2F, p2, k1, p1, 2/1 RPC, p1, k1, p1, 1/1 RPC, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 21: *[P1, k1] 3 times, p1, 1/1 RPC, 1/1 LPC, p2, 1/1 RPC, 1/1 LPC, [p1, k1] 5 times, p2, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 22: Repeat Round 2.
Round 23: Repeat Round 3.
Round 24: Repeat Round 4.
Round 25: Repeat Round 1.
Round 26: *[P1, k1] 4 times, p2, 1/1 LPC, 1/1 RPC, p2, [k1, p1] 5 times, 1/1 LPC, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 27: *[P1, k1] 4 times, p3, C2B, p3, [k1, p1] 5 times, [p1, k1] 2 times, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 28: *P1, 2/1 LPC, [p1, k1] 2 times, p2, 1/1 RPC, 1/1 LPC, p2, [k1, p1] 2 times, 2/1 RPC, p1, k1, p1, 1/1 RPC, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Rounds 1–28 one time, then repeat Rounds 1–23 one more time.
Go on to Finishing section, below.
CHART
NOTE: New to reading charts? Unravel the mysteries with our Reading A Chart Tutorial!
Begin this chart in the bottom right corner. Read all rows right to left, and work your way up the chart to the top line.
Work Set-Up Round, then work Rounds 1–28 two times, then repeat Rounds 1–23 one more time.
NOTE: Remember to knit every knit stitch through the back loop (see Notes).
KEY
CHART
(Want to see it bigger? Click here and view the chart as a PDF!)
FINISHING
Next Round: *[P1, k1] 4 times, [p2, k1] 3 times, [p1, k1] 4 times, p1, 1/1 RPC, p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Next Round: *[P1, k1] 4 times, [p2, k1] 3 times, [p1, k1] 5 times, p2, k1, repeat from * to end of round.
Bind off in pattern for Round 1, knitting knit stitches and purling purl stitches.
Weave in ends and wet block to finished dimensions.
Learn About Hedgerow + All Our Beautiful Yarns
Our Hedgerow yarn makes this project extra special! Created in County Donegal with 93% merino wool, 3.5% cashmere, and 3.5% mulberry silk, Hedgerow has a softer hand feel than strictly traditional Irish wool, while still celebrating the aesthetic and integrity of Donegal tweeds. A classic worsted/aran-weight yarn, Hedgerow brings joy to every stitch!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of (mostly free!) Hedgerow knitting patterns and cast on!
More Worsted/ Aran-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of worsted/aran-weight yarn
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop merino wool yarn
- Shop cashmere yarn
- Shop silk yarn
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
Is there a mitten pattern to match
Hi Carolynn,
Thank you for your question! AS of right now, we unfortunately do not have a matching mitten pattern, however we will be sure to mention your idea to our team! It would be a lovely project.
In the meantime, I suggest taking a look at our Traveling Cable Hand Warmers, which are knit with a sportweight yarn, or our collection of worsted weight mittens, if you wanted to use Hedgerow!
I hope this helps give you some options for a coordinating pair of mittens!
All the best,
Margaret
Beautiful pattern and yarn!
What size is shown? Know it’s probably on there somewhere but I couldn’t find the info.
Thanks!
Hi Brigette,
The cowl shown here is the Adult Once-Around Small size! Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you! A year later, a little late. Still so beautiful.
Hi- what a gorgeous pattern – do you have the pattern to knit on straight needles rather than in the round please?
Hi Val,
Thanks for writing in! At the moment, this pattern is only designed to be knit in the round, but I’ll absolutely pass along your interest in seeing a version that’s knit flat to our design team. We do have a few cowl patterns that are knit flat though, if you’d like to check those out! Take a look at our Timeless Cowl and Pivot Cowl. Apologies for the inconvenience, but I hope that one of these other patterns catches your eye!
All the best,
Lili
Hi,
What size is the woman wearing in the picture? Is that an adult small or large?
Thanks!
Shannon
Hi Shannon,
The cowl shown here is the Adult Once-Around Small size! Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
What weight yarn is Hedgerow?
Hi Paula,
Hedgerow is a worsted weight yarn! You can find out more details about this yarn, including weight, yardage, recommended care, etc. on its product page. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
I would like to knit the cowl and haven’t done a cable before…. Is this a difficult pattern? Tks
Hi Vanda,
Thanks for reaching out. I think this pattern will be an exciting challenge and a great way to learn how to do cables! If you need guidance along the way, I’d recommend taking a look at our tutorial on cabling, and please don’t hesitate to reach out here or by emailing [email protected] if you have any questions!
All the best,
Lili
Hi! Great pattern.
Could you tell me what the difference is between the 3 sizes?
Thank you!
Hi LB,
Thanks for reaching out. The three sizes of the cowl differ in their finished circumference! You can find the details on size in the SIZES section of the pattern page, but I’ll copy that information here as well:
Adult Once-Around Small (Adult Once-Around Large, Adult Twice-Around)
Finished Height: 11¾ inches high
Finished Circumference: 20 (25, 55) inches
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
I love this pattern!!! This turned out beautiful!
I want to try the Adult Once Around Small. I believe the pattern says to cast on 20 stitches on a 16” needle. That sounds like a lot of stitches on a rather small needle. Or am I reading it wrong?
Hi Nona,
Thanks for reaching out to double check! The pattern is correct as written–you’ll cast on 120 stitches for the Adult Once-Around Small size. Based on the gauge of the pattern (24 stitches and 28 rounds = 4 inches in stitch pattern), the finished circumference of this size is 20 inches. That will fit perfectly onto 16-inch circular needles!
All the best,
Lili
Has anyone made this in the medium size (Adult Once-Around Large)? Just not sure whether to make small or medium for my 19 year old daughter. I know the model has the small size on but hard to know how big she/her neck is. Thanks
Hi, love this pattern! Where it says to knit all the knit stitches TBL – does that include the cable stitches?
Hi Lou,
Thanks for reaching out. Yes, you will knit the cable stitches through the back loop as well!
All the best,
Lili
i have just finished knitting this cowl. the cables are easy to memorize and it knits up quickly i am going to knit another one but go up another couple of needle sizes will see how it blocks out
I am getting ready to cast on for the Tendril Cowl and am wondering if this is at all stretchy so I know whether I should make the small or large.
Hi Lynnette,
Thanks for reaching out. The knit fabric of this cowl is pretty stretchy, but probably not as stretchy as some other projects! That’s because there are a lot of twisted stitches, which are naturally less forgiving than normal stitches. But there is definitely still stretch, and to test this out to know for sure, I’d recommend knitting a swatch before beginning. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi, I’m confused about the 2/1 RPC. I had looked up a couple of online videos about how to do and they all said to Slip 1 st onto a cable needle and hold at back of work then knit 2 sts from left needle, then purl 1 st from cable needle. This was staightforward to me. But then I saw pattern instructions say to Slip 2 stitches onto cable stitch holder and hold in back of work, k1 from left needle, slip purl stitch from cable stitch holder back to left needle, p1 from left needle, then k1 from cable stitch holder. I’m confused about why they are different and also confused about knowing which is the “purl stitch” that should be slipped from the cable stitch holder back to the left needle. Thanks and sorry my question is confusing!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for writing in! I’d be happy to help clarify our pattern instructions. For this pattern, you should definitely follow the instructions for the 2/1 RPC (and LPC too!) that we give in the NOTES section. As with many things in knitting, there are multiple ways and variations to do these stitches, but the way that we indicate is the version that will work for this pattern.
In answer to your other question, the way to determine the “purl stitch” should be come clear once you have the stitches on your needles! The “purl stitch” will have a purl bump on the right side of the knit fabric. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi, I’m unsure of the definitions in the “Sizing” guide info. It says: “Adult Once-Around Small (Adult Once-Around Large, Adult Twice-Around).” What does “once around” mean, please? And how does the “Twice around” differ from the “once around”? Thanks for any information for a beginner’s dilemma. 🙂 Sue K.
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out! “Once Around” means that you’ll wear the cowl just as a tube around your neck, and “Twice Around” means that you’ll twist the cowl in two (kind of like an infinity scarf) and then put it around your neck. In our photos, we show the Once Around version. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks very much for the clarification… Happy Holidays!
Hi Susan,
No problem at all! Happy holidays to you too!
All the best,
The CS Team
Hi,
I just finished this cowl, but realized near the last rounds that I was supposed to be knitting the knits through the back loop. I see now that it was noted at the start and finish of the pattern. I love how my cowl turned out, but am wondering what difference this makes? Thank you!
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for writing in! The main difference between knitting the stitches normally and knitting them through the back loop is a slight visual and textural difference. With twisted stitches, you’ll see that the bottom of each knit V looks crossed! Another difference is that fabric with twisted stitches is less stretchy than with normal stitches. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi there,
I was hoping for a quick clarification about your pattern directions. When I look for online demonstrations of the 2/1L PCs and 2/1 RPCs the directions differ from your written instructions of the same stitch. These Online sources state that I should hold just one stitch in front or behind, as opposed to your method of holding two stitches behind, and sliding a stitch back onto the left needle. I am a little confused about how to proceed and was hoping you could clarify. Thank you so much.
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks so much for your question! Cable instructions are normally written something like “Cable 6 forward” (to give an example!), which indicates you should split the next 6 stitches into two groups of three. The cable instructions are typically written with even numbers so you can move half in front and half behind the work for the cable. However, for the RPC/LPC cables in the Tendril Cowl, they are done over 3 stitches, which is why they indicate how to divide up the stitches (“2/1”) in the pattern. This means 2 stitches are going in front or behind the work, and the remaining one stitch is doing the inverse of the first two stitches. Some people do them 1/2 while we wrote them 2/1, but it provides the same effect! It just depends on what combination of 2/1 i.e. in front of/behind the work you do!
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
I have some lovely yarn in a sport weight that would showcase this beautiful cable pattern. Do you have any suggestion on how I might adjust the pattern to accommodate the slightly lighter weight yarn?
Hi Lynne,
Thanks for writing in, and yes, I do have some suggestions! To figure out your cast-on number with a sportweight yarn, you will want to first knit a gauge swatch in pattern. Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the circumference of your size and cast on the nearest multiple of 30. Then you can follow the pattern as written until the cowl is as long as you’d like!
All the best,
Lili
Hello,
There was a previous comment about knitting sts tbl; hence making these sts twisted with less stretch than if knitted in the normal fashion.
Overall, would the cowl have more stretch if all the sts were knitted instead of tbl? And change the design negatively? And does this yarn block out well?
Thank you!
Allie
Hi Allie,
Thanks for writing in, and you’re correct! Twisting the cabled stitches make them less stretchy than if they were knit normally. Twisting them also gives the cabled design more definition against the background since single columns of regularly-knit stitches can sometimes look a bit messy. If you don’t twist the stitches, the cowl will have a little more stretch, but the cables might not look as neat as they do in our sample.
In answer to your other question, yes, Hedgerow responds very well to blocking! Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
Hi
I just started the tendril cowl using Hedgerow. The yarn seems awfully scratchy to the touch. Will this yarn soften when blocked? Since it’s around the neck, the receipient I intended this for, may not like the feel of the yarn.
Thank you
Hi Carol,
Thanks for reaching out! Hedgerow is made primarily of merino wool, which is a very, very soft type of wool. However, the texture of the spin of Hedgerow is very nubbly, so that in combination with the silk content means that it isn’t as soft as, say, 100% merino wool. It’s definitely softer than most other types of wool though, but if you’re concerned that the recipient of the cowl won’t be comfortable wearing it, I’d recommend asking them to touch the yarn themselves! That’ll give you a clearer sense of if they’ll have an issue with the texture of the yarn.
All the best,
Lili
Lili, thanks for your reply. The silk content is only 3.5%, so I’m hoping the yarn will soften up with blocking.
Hello
I have completed 56 rounds of this cowl. Adding one or two inches more would be perfect for me. Will I encounter problems completing the finishing rounds if I do not complete all of the last 23 rounds?
Hi Nancy,
Thank you for your question! You could stop the pattern at any point you’d like and then just bind off! Since you are not going to work another repeat of rounds 1-23, you can skip over the finishing rounds and bind off. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Love this cowl! It was a great way to get myself comfortable with cabling. I have yarn left that I’d like to make into a matching headband. Do you have any thoughts on what section of this pattern I should use to make that happen? Just start at the beginning and knit till it looks wide enough?
Thanks!
Hi Rosemary,
Thank you for writing in! If you are happy with the current circumference of the cowl for a headband, then yes! We suggest knitting to as thick as you’d like and just end with a stretchy bind off!
Happy knitting,
Gavriella