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Vessel Cowl
Knit in sumptuous Nigh Aran cashmere, our Vessel Cowl pattern is a serene, sculptural form that holds the warm good wishes stitched into every handknit gift. Elevated yet effortless, it’s a must-make for someone very special on your list.
You knit this cowl all in Cartridge Rib, an easy, two-row stitch pattern that creates plush hills and valleys—absolutely glorious in our plump cashmere Nigh Aran yarn. Start out knitting in the round, then divide the stitches in half to form front and back panels, which you knit flat one at a time.
These slightly tapered panels extend just far enough down the chest for extra warmth, while keeping a clean, streamlined fit at the shoulders. The shaping has a beauty all its own; simple decreases merge two rib columns into one, creating fluid contours as if shaped by a potter’s hand.
Generous and indulgent, Nigh Aran is the cashmere yarn every knitter dreams of for gift knitting—so buoyant it seems almost to float, heavenly soft, and blooming with a cloudlike halo. Spun from the finest Mongolian cashmere, its multi-ply structure and plush aran weight form a round strand for beautifully sculpted stitches and deeply dimensional texture.
Nigh Aran‘s classic palette offers timeless beauty for breathtaking gifts, including the heathered Flannel Suit we chose. Just two skeins will bring your Vessel Cowl to life, a handknit gift filled with warmth and love!
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!
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
- 2 skeins of Purl Soho’s Nigh Aran, 100% cashmere yarn. Each skein of this worsted/aran-weight yarn is 100 yards/ 55 grams; approximately 160 total yards required. We used the color Flannel Suit.
- US 8 (5 mm), 16-inch circular knitting needles
- A stitch marker
- Stitch holders or scrap yarn
GAUGE
20 stitches and 34 rounds = 4 inches in stitch pattern
SIZE
- Finished Circumference at Top: 17½ inches
- Finish Width at each Bottom Edge: 7 inches
- Finished Height: 10 inches
NOTES
STITCH MULTIPLE
This pattern is worked over a multiple of 8 stitches.
SLIP STITCHES
Slip all slipped stitches purlwise with yarn in front (wyif) unless otherwise instructed.
SK2P (SLIP K2TOG PASS)
NOTE: Our Slip Knit 2 Together Pass (sk2p) Tutorial includes step-by-step photos of this technique.
Slip 1 stitch purlwise, knit 2 stitches together (k2tog), pass slipped stitch over k2tog and off needle. [2 stitches decreased]
KNIT 3 TOGETHER
Insert right needle into front leg of third stitch on left needle, then into leg of second stitch, then into leg of first stitch, wrap yarn around right needle and knit all 3 together (like a k2tog but with 3 stitches!). [2 stitches decreased]
PATTERN
Cast on 88 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Place unique marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.
Round 1: *K3, slip 1 (see Notes), repeat from * to end of round.
Round 2: P1, *slip 1 with yarn in back (wyib), p3, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, slip 1 wyib, p2.
Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until piece measures approximately 6 inches from cast-on edge.
DIVIDE FOR FRONT + BACK
Division Row (right side): *[K3, slip 1] 10 times, k2, knit two together (k2tog)**, place previous 43 stitches on stitch holders or scrap yarn for Back, repeat from * to ** one more time. [43 stitches remain on needles for Front]
FRONT
Set-Up Row (wrong side): K1, *slip 1, k3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, slip 1, k1.
Row 1 (right side): K3, *slip 1, k3, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): K1, *slip 1, k3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, slip 1, k1.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until Front measures 1¾ inches from Division Row, ending with Row 2.
SHAPE FRONT
Decrease Row 1 (right side): K3, slip 1, k2, slip slip knit (ssk), *k3, slip 1, repeat from * to last 11 stitches, k3, k2tog, k2, slip 1, k3. [41 stitches remain]
Decrease Row 2 (wrong side): K1, slip 1, k3, slip 1, ssk, slip 1, *k3, slip 1, repeat from * to last 8 stitches, k2tog, slip 1, k3, slip 1, k1. [39 stitches remain]
Decrease Row 3: K3, slip 1, k1, sk2p (see Notes), k1, slip 1, *k3, slip 1, repeat from * to last 9 stitches, k1, knit 3 together (see Notes), k1, slip 1, k3. [35 stitches remain]
Next Row: K1, *slip 1, k3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, slip 1, k1.
CONTINUE
Row 1 (right side): K3, *slip 1, k3, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 (wrong side): K1, *slip 1, k3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, slip 1, k1.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until Front measures 10 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
Bind-Off Row (right side): K2, pass first stitch over, k1, pass first stitch over, *p1, pass first stitch over [k1, pass first stitch over] 3 times, repeat from * to end of row.
BACK
Return 43 on-hold Back stitches to needles and join yarn, ready to work a wrong-side row.
Work as for Front.
FINISHING
Weave in the ends and block as desired.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Learn About Nigh Aran + All Our Beautiful Yarns
Cast on for this project with Nigh Aran, made with the most exquisite, amazingly soft 100% Mongolian cashmere you can imagine! This generous aran-weight yarn has a buoyant multi-ply structure and knits into a beautiful, even fabric with a lush halo that floats above the fabric’s surface, a distinctive characteristic of fine cashmere yarns. Knitting with Nigh Aran is a very special pleasure… Try it!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of free Nigh Aran knitting patterns and cast on!
More Worsted/Aran-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of worsted/aran-weight yarn (What does worsted-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to worsted-weight yarn will answer your questions and more.)
- 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 and our Yarn Substitution article for lots of helpful information.
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop Nigh DK + Nigh Fine, this yarn’s DK-weight and lace- to fingering-weight siblings
- Shop cashmere yarn (What makes cashmere so special? Learn all about this amazing fiber in our guide to cashmere yarn!)
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!
What’s the tension for this wool, please
Hi Ruth,
Nigh Aran is an heavy worsted or Aran-weight yarn that knits up at 3.75-4.25 stitches per inch on US 7-9 (4.5-5.5 mm) needles. For the Vessel Cowl in the slip stitch rib pattern, the gauge is 5 stitches to the inch on US 8 (5 mm) needles.
I hope this answers your question, and if not, that you’ll reach back out so we can make sure you have all the information you need!
Best,
Whitney
If I needed to make this larger for a man, say 20-22” at the top rather than the 17”, how many more stitches would I need to cast on?
Hi Mary!
Thank you for your question! To adjust the size of the cowl, you can cast on 104 stitches for a 20″ circumference or 112 stitches for a 22″ circumference, since the stitch pattern works in multiples of 8. When you divide for the front and back, you’ll still knit only half the stitches, 52 or 56 stitches, depending on your cast-on.
Let us know if you’d like any more help!
Warmly,
Megan
Hello, could I use cashmere merino bloom for this pattern?
Hi Kellie,
Thank you for your question! It is possible to use Cashmere Merino Bloom for this pattern, though it will create a slightly different fabric since Cashmere Merino Bloom is lighter weight than Nigh Aran. To achieve gauge, you’ll likely want to use a US 5, but we always recommend knitting a gauge swatch first before starting.
Please let us know if you need any help getting gauge — we’re happy to assist!
Happy knitting,
Megan
My apologies. I am confused and hope you can clarify:
-Just to orient myself: The pattern is knit top-down. Is that correct? The cast on edge becomes the top of the cowl.
– The big confusion for me: up until DIVIDE FOR FRONT + BACK, everything is worked in the round.
As part of the dividing, 88 stitches (44 x 2) are split in half with one decrease resulting in a total of 86 stitches (43 x 2).
The front (43 stitches at first) is worked as if flat. Once completed the back (43 stitches at first) is worked as if flat.
For me that makes for a disconnected front and back. Two separate pieces of fabric that are nonetheless joined in the round before the DIVIDE.
How do those two get rejoined? I don’t see any finishing details and really cannot visualize this.
During BACK execution, should you include each end stitch of the already completed FRONT? Are things joined by mattress stitch afterwards?
I think the pattern result is beautiful but am having trouble visualizing things. However, I would not want to purchase the amazing cashmere yarn only to completely screw things up.
In other words, I am it sure is this surpasses my current skill level or not, but hope you can point me in the right direction.
Hi Moxie!
Thank you for your question! You’re definitely not alone in wondering how this construction works! And yes, you’ve understood the setup correctly: the cowl is worked top-down, and the cast-on edge becomes the top opening.
After the DIVIDE FOR FRONT + BACK, the piece stops being worked in the round. The stitches are split so you can work the front flat, bind it off, and then work the back flat. These two pieces are not rejoined in the round afterward. The front and back edges remain separate, creating the beautiful split hem in the design. No mattress stitch or extra finishing is required.
Once you see it happening on the needles, it makes a lot more sense, and it’s absolutely within reach if you’re comfortable knitting flat and following along carefully.
If you’d like, feel free to send a photo to [email protected], and we can walk you through the construction visually as well. You’re closer to mastering it than you think!
Warmly,
Megan
Could you clarify the pattern to be used for a gauge swatch? Would it be just a 3×3 rib? Thank you!
Hi Marilyn!
Great question! For the gauge swatch, you’ll want to use the same stitch pattern as the cowl, not a plain 3×3 rib. Here’s the pattern to follow for your swatch:
Round 1:
*K3, slip 1, repeat from * to end.
Round 2:
P1, *slip 1 with yarn in back (wyib), p3, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, slip 1 wyib, p2.
This will give you an accurate gauge in pattern. If you need any help checking your measurements, feel free to reach out!
Warmly,
Megan
Hi! I just started this project but am puzzled by the pattern…are the K3 and P3 on the repeated rounds 1&2 supposed to align? To form the rib pattern? I keep finding myself knitting purls and purling knits so that the rib isn’t quite aligning…thanks in advance!
Hi Marilyn!
Thank you for your question! In this pattern, the K3 and P3 rows aren’t meant to stack on top of each other like a traditional 3×3 rib. This stitch pattern is called Cartridge Rib, and part of its charm is that the knit and purl sections shift a bit to create those soft, plush ridges.
So if you’re finding yourself knitting into purls and purling into knits, that’s actually correct for this pattern! If you’d like to send a photo to [email protected], we’re always happy to confirm that everything looks as it should.
Warmly,
Megan
Hi, I’m (unfortunately) allergic to wool. Can you recommend any non-wool fibers to make this cowl?
Thank you!
Hi Judy!
Thank you for your question! Absolutely there are some lovely non-wool options that would work beautifully for this cowl. June Worsted, a cotton–linen blend, offers great drape and stitch definition, and Sunshower Cotton is a 100% cotton choice that keeps things lightweight and wool-free. If you’d like help estimating how many skeins you’d need or choosing between the two, feel free to let us know!
Happy Knitting,
Megan
I have another question about Round 1 -” * K3, slip1 (see notes) ” Is this a K3tog? with slip 1 purlwise with Yitf? I’m unclear why we are instructed to see notes, unless this K3 has something unusual about it? Please clarify. I have a feeling it is obvious but I’m having a mind freeze. Thank you in advance.
Hi Helena!
Thank you for your question! You’re absolutely not alone in the “mind freeze” here! The K3 is just knit three stitches normally — it is not a k3tog and there’s nothing unusual happening with those stitches. After that, you slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in front (wyif).
The reason the pattern says “see Notes” is because slipping stitches is usually done with the yarn in back, so the notes are there to clarify that for this pattern, all slipped stitches should be slipped purlwise with the yarn in front unless otherwise stated. That detail is important for how the fabric texture forms. I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Megan