The Reflection Cowl pattern perfectly balances two worlds of color in mirrored harmony. Knit in our new Goldenberry Alpaca, it glows with one luminous shade on the outside and another within, a joyful way to experience the extraordinary hand-dyed colors of this very special yarn!

Reflection Cowl | Purl Soho

In stockinette stitch, Goldenberry Alpaca reveals its full depth, with subtle dark, medium, and light shades shimmering across the smooth fabric. The knitting itself is wonderfully simple: you start with a Provisional Cast On (easier than you might think, and we have a great tutorial to guide you!), then knit your first color all in stockinette before joining the second and doing the same. A clever modified Three Needle Bind Off folds the whole thing in half, one color reflected inside the other.

Reflection Cowl | Purl Soho

The pattern comes in two sizes, a single loop for pared-down warmth or a double loop for more drama… Twist it, fold it, or drape it to let the colors play against each other in ever new ways! You need just one skein of each color for the smaller size, or two of each for the larger.

Reflection Cowl | Purl Soho
Reflection Cowl | Purl Soho

Goldenberry Alpaca is a dreamy single-ply baby alpaca yarn that feels like a cloud in your hands and knits up into a flowing, opulent fabric. Its smooth spin amplifies the alpaca’s natural luster, while an exquisite halo rises from the surface, giving the yarn a soft, captivating brilliance.

Reflection Cowl | Purl Soho

An artisanal hand-dyed yarn, Goldenberry Alpaca is suffused with radiant color on the surface, while a natural ecru core seems to illuminate each shade from within. The palette includes 19 colors drawn from the treasures of nature, from jewel-like Deep Sea Green to burnished Golden Amber to shimmery Silver Bark, each full of warm light.

Reflection Cowl | Purl Soho

Choose two colors of Goldenberry Alpaca and join them in an unbroken circle of the reflection and the reflected. Easy to knit and exquisitely gorgeous, your Reflection Cowl will reveal itself round by round as you discover this beautiful yarn’s hand-dyed depths!

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!

Reflection Cowl | Purl Soho
Reflection Cowl | Purl Soho

Pattern designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Gianna Mueller. See even more of Gianna’s work on her Instagram!

Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.

Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!

Materials

Reflection Cowl | Purl Soho
  • Purl Soho’s Goldenberry Alpaca, 100% baby alpaca yarn. Each skein of this light worsted/dk-weight yarn is 219 yards/ 100 grams.
    • Color A: 1 (2) skein(s); approximately 195 (430) yards required
    • Color B: 1 (2) skein(s); approximately 200 (438) yards required
  • US 5 (3.75 mm) 16- or 40-inch circular knitting needles, depending on size you’re making
  • A spare 16- or 40-inch circular needle, size US 5 or smaller, for 3-Needle Bind Off
  • A stitch marker
  • A size E or F (3.5 or 3.75 mm) crochet hook and scrap yarn for Provisional Cast On

We knit the following sizes and colors…

  • Once-Around: Silver Bark (Color A) + Golden Amber (Color B)
  • Once-Around: Pink Sky (Color A) + Yellow Pear (Color B)
  • Twice-Around: Deep Sea Green (Color A) + Lotus Pink (Color B)

GAUGE

20 stitches and 30 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch

SIZES

Once-Around (Twice-Around)

Finished Dimensions: 22 (51) inches circumference x 10½ inches tall

NOTES

CONSTRUCTION

You will knit this cowl in one piece, starting with a Provisional Cast On, then joining Color A to work the first half and switching to Color B for the second half. You will finish by placing the cast-on stitches onto spare needles, folding the work in half, and joining the two ends using Color B and a Modified 3-Needle Bind Off.

STITCH MULTIPLE

This pattern is worked over any number of stitches.

PATTERN

NOTE: For help with the Provisional Cast On, visit our Provisional Cast On: One-Step Method Tutorial.

With scrap yarn, crochet hook, and main needles, use a One-Step Provisional Cast On to cast on 110 (255) stitches.

Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.

With Color A, knit every round until piece measures 10½ inches from cast-on edge.

Cut Color A and join Color B.

With Color B, knit every round until piece measures 21 inches from cast-on edge, making sure to have several yards left over for binding off.

FINISHING

Carefully slip provisional cast-on stitches onto spare needles, removing scrap yarn as you go.

Weave in tails on wrong side of work.

Fold piece in half at color change so wrong sides are facing each other. Hold piece so working needle and spare needle are parallel, with working needles on the outside.

With other end of working needles and still using Color B, bind off all stitches using a Modified 3-Needle Bind Off.

Weave in remaining end and gently wet block.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Reflection Cowl | Purl Soho
Reflection Cowl | Purl Soho

Learn About Goldenberry Alpaca + All Our Beautiful Yarns

Goldenberry Alpaca brings hand-dyed beauty to this project! A light worsted/DK weight yarn, it is a luminous single ply of softest baby alpaca with a delicate, cloud-like halo. Goldenberry Alpaca glows with a warm white core that shines through shifting tones, adding movement and depth to a hand-dyed palette of colors drawn from nature’s treasures. Knit elegant fabric where light and shadow flow across every row, revealing luminous depth stitch by stitch!

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Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our knitting patterns (including tons of 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!