Thorn Stitch Cowl
Thorns and knitting may not traditionally be friends, but just look at the beautiful maze of brambles that thorn stitch makes… more field of feathers than briar patch!
And when you double wrap this Thorn Stitch Cowl around your neck, you’ll really understand that the only sharp thing about it is the way it looks!
Knit up in our brand new Understory, a blend of 50% baby alpaca, 25% baby yak, and 25% silk, the resulting fabric is decidedly lightweight, keeping you warm without weighing you down.
Every color in the Understory palette is cold-weather worthy. Here, Willow Bark conjures the raw beauty of wintertime woods: spare trees, silver-y pods, and the life-giving leaf layer on the forest floor.
A simple 8-round stitch pattern, the Thorn Stitch Cowl is designed to interest, but not frustrate, you. It’s wonderful for getting in the rhythm, and in the end, it’s a stunner!
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!
This project designed for Purl Soho by Jamila Modeste.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoThornStitchCowl, and #PurlSohoUnderstory. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 4 skeins of Purl Soho’s Understory, 50% baby alpaca, 25% baby yak, and 25% silk. Each skein is 250 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 800 yards required. We used the color Willow Bark.
- US 6 (4mm), 40-inch circular needles
Gauge
22 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in thorn stitch
Size
Finished Height: 15 inches
Finished Circumference: 56 inches
Notes
Slip all stitches purlwise with yarn in back, unless otherwise indicated.
This stitch pattern is worked over a multiple of four stitches.
Pattern
Using a Long Tail Cast On, cast on 308 stitches.
Place a stitch marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Foundation Round: Knit.
Round 1: *Into next stitch [k1, yarn over (yo), k1], k3, repeat from * to end of round. [462 stitches]
Round 2: *Slip 3 (see Note above), k3, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 3: Remove stitch marker, slip 1, place stitch marker on right needle, slip 1, ssk, k1, *k2tog, slip 1, ssk, k1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2tog. [308 stitches]
Round 4: K2, slip 1, *k3, slip 1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Round 5: K2, *into next stitch [k1, yo, k1], k3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, into next stitch [k1, yo, k1], k1. [462 stitches]
Round 6: K2, *slip 3, k3, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, slip 3, k1.
Round 7: K1, *k2tog, slip 1, ssk, k1, repeat from * to last 5 stitches, k2tog, slip 1, ssk. [308 stitches]
Round 8: *Slip 1, k3, repeat from * to end of round.
Repeat Rounds 1-8 until piece measures 14¾ inches from cast-on edge, or until desired height.
Knit 1 round.
Bind off knitwise.
Weave in ends and gently block.
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!
Your patterns are lovely…I am a knitter and now that I have retired I plan to do more…I would suggest that you include laundering/dry cleaning recommendations for all your projects, especially so for infant and children apparel, etc… thank you
Hi Mary!
Thanks for your comment! On each of our yarns we have the washing recommendations on the label.
Best,
Carly
Hi
Love this pattern and am looking forward to making this cowl
In round 3 when slipping 3 sts is it correct to slip 3 sts together or should they be slipped individually
Thank you for all the beautiful patterns and all your help
Antoinette
Hello Antoinette,
Thank you for reaching out! In our version of ssk we slip one knitwise then slip one purlwise so you will want to slip each stitch individually. I hope this helps!
Happy kniting,
Marilla
Does your ssk result in a different look?
Guess I should try before asking
Laurie
Hello Laurie,
Thank you for reaching out! The two way of completing the ssk look identical. Ours is just a bit tighter.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
May I ask what is meant by “into the next stitch” means in the pattern? Thanks!
Hi Angela,
Thanks for writing in! I certainly understand the confusion. I think that it is a little easier when reworded to “Into a single knit stitch [K1, yarn over (yo), k1].” You will be working the k1, yo, k1 into a single stitch.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
I love this Thorn Stitch pattern. Would you by any chance have a wrap pattern using this stitch?
Hello,
Thanks for writing us! Unfortunately, this stitch pattern is only written to be worked in the round. I will certainly pass along your idea.
Happy knitting!
Carly
You can adopt this pattern for straight needles by purling and slipping stitches with yarn in the front in even rows 2,4,6,8 in the reverse order.
You could always knit it in the round and then steek!
Dear All,
I hope this note finds you well and your week is a good one so far.
I really like this pattern for other projects than just a cowl.
I know I may be asking for a lot with my inquiry but as I like to say: “Can’t blame anyone for asking.”
So, here’s my question:
Is there a charted instruction guideline for this pattern?
I know, most US pattern instructions are written ones. However, for the ones among us that learned to knit in Europe, especially in Germany like myself, are more accustomed to charted instructions if they go beyond four (4) rows.
Any chance you may know where this pattern can be found with charted instructions. I am an advanced knitter and would be grateful for this help.
Many thanks in advance for your time and response.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Have a great rest of your week.
Thank you.
Sincerely, Mara R. Tuma
Hello Mara,
Thanks for writing us! Unfortunately, at the moment, this pattern is not charted. I will certainly pass along your idea!
Happy knitting!
Carly
Love this pattern, can’t wait to make it. But I have one question on the pattern. What does “into the next stitch” mean in the below instruction?
K2, *[k1, yo, k1] into next stitch, k3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, [k1, yo, k1] into next stitch, k1. [462 stitches]
Thanks,
Jessica
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for writing in! I certainly understand the confusion. I think that it is a little easier when reworded to “Into a single knit stitch [K1, yarn over (yo), k1].” You will be working the k1, yo, k1 into a single stitch.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
That makes sense – thanks so much!
Thank you! ♥
Is this stitch pattern a multiple of 4 stitches? I want to make a smaller cowl but don’t know how many stitches to cast on. Thanks!
Hi Emily!
Yes, The pattern repeat is 4 stitches!
Happy knitting!
Carly
This is a beautiful cowl and the yarn looks amazing. However the first 3 stitches in round 1 and round 5 don’t make any sense to me. In round 1: first stitch are you knitting 1; yo; knitting back into the first stitch again? I don’t understand what the “into the next stitch means” (k1, yo, k1) into the next stitch. Is the next stitch the first stitch?
Hi Carol,
Thanks for writing in and for your kind words! I certainly understand the confusion. I think that it is a little easier when reworded to “Into a single knit stitch [K1, yarn over (yo), k1].” You will be working the k1, yo, k1 into a single stitch.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
I’m also struggling to understand this instruction. Am I correct in understanding that you K1, but don’t pull the first stitch off the left needle, then do a yarn over on the right needle, THEN re-insert the right needle into the front of the initial stitch to K1 again, then pull it off of the left needle? Thus 3 stitches in that first stitch? Perhaps a video demonstration might help us all? Thank you for such a beautiful pattern.
Hi Diane,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, we do not have a video tutorial for this stitch, but it sounds like you have it figured out! You will end up with three stitches from just one stitch when this increase is performed correctly.
Best,
Julianna
Hi Diane,
Thanks for reaching out! You have it exactly right! While we do not have the resources at present to make a video for this stitch pattern, we will certainly keep it in mind for the future!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
What is the pattern repeat, if one wanted to knit a cowl that wasn’t as wide?
Thanks – it looks lovely!
Chris
Hi Chris!
Thank you for the kind words! The pattern is cast on in multiples of 4 stitches.
Happy knitting!
Carly
such a beautiful pattern!
wanted to ask you…the pattern is a multiple of how many sts…just in case I would like it a bit smaller in perimeter?
Hi Eleni,
The repeat for this pattern is 4 stitches!
Happy knitting!
Carly
Hi, The cowl is beautiful. I was just reading the pattern and maybe I’m missing something but on the first line where it says [k1, yo, k1] into next stitch, what do you mean by into next stitch ?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Alice,
Thanks for writing in! I certainly understand the confusion. I think that it is a little easier when reworded to “Into a single knit stitch [K1, yarn over (yo), k1].” You will be working the k1, yo, k1 into a single stitch.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
OK, you lost me in Round One. What does “Knit one, yo, knit one INTO THE NEXT Stitch” mean. What am I doing into the next stitch? Looks like a fun project!
Hi Ann,
Thanks for writing in! I certainly understand the confusion. I think that it is a little easier when reworded to “Into a single knit stitch [K1, yarn over (yo), k1].” You will be working the k1, yo, k1 into a single stitch.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
This pattern looks so pretty! I would like to knit it flat, on straight needles, for a scarf, but I’m wondering if this would be straightforward? Is there anything I need to be aware of? Thanks for your advice!
Hi Kim,
Thanks for writing in and for your request! At present this pattern is only written in the round. You can certainly take a stab at it! The main thing to note if you do give it a go is that, when working in the round, the start of row stitch changes on round three. You will need to take this into account if you try to write the pattern to be worked flat. We will certainly keep your request in mind for the future!
Best,
Cassy
Hi
Once again another fantastic pattern from Purl Solo.
Is there any chance, when you publish, that you might include metric needle sizes too? I know its possible to convert but it would be a lovely gesture for your many fans “over the pond”.
Keep these gorgeous patterns coming.
Michelle (UK).
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for writing in and for the kind words! We will certainly keep your request in mind for the future! I, myself, generally keep a tab open in my web browser with needle sizes and yarn gauges in all of the varied systems opened to help when using patterns from abroad.
Thank you again for your kind request!
Cassy
Hi again, I’m still confused about the directions. So do you not slip that first knit stitch off the needle, and then you yarn over , and the you knit the knit stitch and yarn over together ? Or do you do something else ?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Hi Alice,
I hope that I can help! For row 1, into the first stitch you you knit 1, yarn over and knit 1. You will not be slipping the first stitch on this row. On row 2, you will be slipping the first 3 stitches purlwise with yarn in back. This will be the k1, yo, k1 that you knit into a single stitch on the first row.
I hope that this clears things up and please let me know if I have misunderstood your question!
Cassy
Would you please consider making a video tutorial for this stitch? Thank you!
Hello Amy,
Thank you for your suggestion! I will certainly pass it along.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Got it ! Thank you so much !
This might clarify a few other comments … if a small edit occurs in Round 1: *[K1, yarn over (yo), k1] into next stitch, k3, repeat from * to end of round. [462 stitches] … beginning with K1 then the * and ending with K2 … the marker needs not be moved in Round 3.
Round 5 remains as is.
Subsequently it becomes simpler and easier to read the repeat for working in rows as well … though a selvedge stitch ought to be added. The previously slipped stitches on the RS would still be slipped on the WS.
Will try to put this through the drill when yarn and needles are in hand.
‘Tis a gorgeous thorny cowl!
Hi Ina,
Thanks for writing in and for your thoughts on the pattern! I’m not sure that this edit would work as the stitch alignments would change in each subsequent round. Round 2 begins with slipping 3 stitches and these would be the 3 stitches that are worked in the first stitch on round 1. Altering round require altering round 2 to make things line up correctly. We very much appreciate your thoughts on our pattern!
Thank you for your kind words!
Cassy
Hi
Is it possible to make this awesome into a scarf instead?
Thanks
Adele
Hi Adele,
Thanks for writing in and for your request! At present this pattern is only written in the round. We will certainly keep your request in mind for the future!
Best,
Cassy
Hi – I’m not clear on what is happening on round 3. It seems like the marker (and BOR) is moving one stitch to the left)?? But if that’s the case why put the marker back on the RIGHT needle? Is the second slipped stitch (after replacing the marker) going from the right needle to the left needle?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Rona,
Thanks for writing in! You are correct! You will be moving the BOR stitch marker 1 stitch to the left. On round 3 you will remove the marker, slip the next stitch and place the marker on the right needle to make the new beginning on the round. Now you will slip the next stitch (which is now the first stitch on this round) from the left needle to the right needle.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
I really enjoy your patterns. However, I live in Europe. It would be great if you published the patterns with metric measurements and needle sizes also, just to make things simpler for your European audience. Thank you!
Hello Elizabeth,
Thank you for reaching out! I totally hear you- for this cowl we used a 4mm needle with a cord length of 100cm. The finished Height comes to 38cm with a circumference of 142 cm. I hope this helps!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
LOVE everything about this pattern! I do have a question in Round 3, slip 1, ssk, do we add the first slip 1 into the ssk, meaning only slip 1 more then knit the 2 or do we slip 2 then knit, leaving the slip 1 separate from the ssk? I hope that question makes sense! Thanks in advance for the help!
Hello Amanda,
Thank you for reaching out! I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying this pattern. The slip 1 is separate from the ssk, so you would slip 1 then slip slip knit. I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any further questions.
Warmly,
Marilla
Hello,
Your patterns and yarns are so lovely, but why don’t you produce any of your Purl yarns in any colors with even a hint of green, green-gray, green-blue, sea green? I love nature’s shades of green and they compliment so many other colors. What do you think, will there be greens in your future?
Thanks for your inspirational ideas and projects.
Best Wishes,
Mary
Hi Mary,
Thanks for writing in! Each year we retire some colors to make room for new ones. Many greens have come and gone and other colors may come in the future. In Understory, we do have a lovely green, Field Mint! We will certainly keep your request in mind in the future and thank you so much for your kind comments!
Best,
Cassy
I’m confused about how one gets from 308 stitches to 462 stitches in round one. If one is doing one yo in every round, of repeat, (k1, yo,k1,k3) then that would only account for an extra 20 stitches in every hundred or 60 +2 extra overall. Making a total of 370 stitches rather than 462.
Hi Bonnie,
Thanks for writing in! I think that I can clear things up! You will be working [k1, yo, k1] into 1 stitch. This will increase the 1 stitch to 3 stitches. This will add 154 stitches over the round.
I hope that this clears things up!
Cassy
Hi! On the first stitch in round 1 do we:
1. Knit, but not pop off the left needle.
2. Yo
2. Knit again.
I think I may have figured it out but wanted to confirm.
THANKS!
Hello Haley,
Thanks for writing us- you got it!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi, is there a video for the stitches that are a bit confusing? I just got my Understory but this looks a bit daunting? Thanks
Hi Jody,
Unfortunately we don’t have a video for this project but I’ll be sure to pass along your request to the team!
Best,
Carly
Can you make a video for this pattern? Loved the one for the herringbone pattern. Thanks
Hello Nevenka,
Thank you for reaching out and I’m happy you find our videos helpful! I will pass along your request.
Warmly,
Marilla
Hello!
I wanted to know how the pattern goes in case we don’t want to knit in the round. I mean can we use the same stitch to make a wrap or shrug? How would this be?
Thanks a lot for your time and answer!
Hello Iliana,
Thank you for your interest! This pattern would be beautiful as a wrap- at present this pattern is only written in the round. You can certainly take a stab at it! The main thing to note if you do give it a go is that, when working in the round, the start of row stitch changes on round three. You will need to take this into account if you try to write the pattern to be worked flat. We will certainly keep your request in mind for the future!
Warmly,
Marilla
Does thorn stitch rolls on edges (top and bottom) like stockinette stitch? The cowl looks beautiful, but rolling edges are one of my pet peeves and sometime the rolling is not obvious on a swatch.
Hello Anya,
Thank you for your interest! I hear you- rolling edges are quite annoying. The sample in our shop hasn’t had any curling and remains beautiful. Even if you do have a bit of curling, blocking should relax the fiber enough to eliminate it.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
In round 2, do we slip 3 stitches together or individually, purl wise with yarn in the back?
I made a graph for the thorn stitch, which I think clarifies certain things (at least for me). What would be the best way of sharing it with other knitters?
Hi Anya,
Thanks for writing in! For this pattern, you can slip them individually or together. Both ways will result in the same look!
Best,
Cassy
The pattern is really beautiful and the yarn even more! But I find it comes out a bit wide. The height is great, but I can wrap it around my neck 3x and it just seams a bit too much. I used 1:1 your instructions…
Hi Stefanie,
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m wondering if your gauge was very slightly off. Sometimes the gauge being off by only 1/4 inch could make a really big difference in size.
Best,
Carly
Hi
I‘m really a bit desperate… I frogged it and now have a new cast on with a thinner needle than before. I’m 10 rows in now and measured…. but I’m still on min 64” …
Hello Stefanie,
It sounds like you are knitting at a larger gauge then the pattern calls for. What size needle did you go down to? The gauge required for this cowl is 22 stitches per 4 inches in thorn stitch with a size 6 needle. With a cast on number of 308 stitches our finished cowl circumference came to 56″. I would suggest knitting up a small gauge swatch so you know how many stitches per inch you are getting. We all knit with slightly different gauges so it is always helpful to knit a gauge swatch before starting so we don’t come across surprises half way through.
If you are happy with the texture you are currently getting and just want your cowl to be smaller you can always cast on less stitches. You will still want to knit up a gauge swatch that you can use as a guide to figure out how many stitches to cast on. You will just want to make sure your cast on number is a multiple of 4.
I hope this all makes sense- please let me know if I can clarify anything for you.
Warmly,
Marilla
Hi
Well I’m not sure. It definitely came out over 60inches again. Even with a six needle and being a tight knitter. My gauge was definitely different in the first try my needle was half a number larger and that added on top (conversion to metric is sometimes tricky). Now it is ok and I will not frog it again… but maybe you could give an indication in future patterns how tight you are knitting. Swatches are ok, but never really work for me, since the pattern for a piece and the pattern for swatches are different too.
Happy new year
Hello Stefanie,
Thank you for this reply. I’m so happy to hear that you will not need to frog again- this is always a relief! For your future convenience I would recommend using google’s conversion tool- it is incredibly helpful and I use it all the time.
Good luck with your project and let us know how it goes!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hi I really love all things you show .
But I’ve to ask if there is any posibility you can can write them in spanish or have a video to understand them easily
I have bought some patterns but it’s still difficult to me understand them
Hi Alicia,
Thanks for writing in! At present, our patterns are only available in English. Thank you for your request! We will keep it in mind!
Best,
Cassy
Hi. When executing the ssk, is it executed in the same manner in your video, slip one knit wise then slip one purl wise, then insert needle into both from the right needle then knit?
Hi Kay,
Thanks for writing in! The ssk in the video is our preferred method! We think that by slipping one knit wise and one purl wise, we get a tidier decrease and it is what we used here!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hello~ I have read through all the comments so I hope this is not are repeat question. The 3 stitches that are in 1 stitch (K1, YO, K1) when it comes to the next round does it matter if the YO has moved position to either the first stitch or last stitch of the group? Mine never seem to stay in the middle of the group.
Thanks! Love all your patterns
Mary
Hello Mary,
Thank you for writing in! You should ideally keep the YO in the middle. Does it seem to be disrupting the integrity of the stitches? If the stitches do not look off or weird then I would say don’t worry about it, but If they look funky I would try to be a little more careful when knitting the (K1, YO, K1).
I hope this helps and let us know if you continue to have issues and we can help you problem solves.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hey there! Very excited to try this pattern. My question is in Round 1 where is says * [k1, yo, k1] k3 then repeat from *. Do I only repeat what is in the brackets or is the k3 included in the repetition. Thank you!
Hi Aline,
Thanks for writing in! For Round 1 the directions read: *Into next stitch [k1, yarn over (yo), k1], k3, repeat from * to end of round. Into a single stitch, you will k1, yo, k1 and then you will knit the next 3 stitches. You will then repeat all of this to the end of the row. This will include the stitches in the brackets knit into a single stitch.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I was so looking forward to making this cowl, but then found out that the color I wanted, Willow Bark, is out of stock. Can you recommend other yarns of similar color that would work for this piece?
Thanks!
Laura
Hello Laura,
Thank you for reaching out! Hopefully Willow Bark will come back in stock soon, but in the mean time I would check out the colors in Brooklyn Tweed’s Arbor or Woolfolk’s Far.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
It seems as most questions are about Row 1. While your explanation is quite clear is there a chance to put that particular stitch in question on a video? You have so many other helpful videos out there for which I am thankful.
Hello Irene,
Thank you for the suggestion! I will certainly pass it along.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi,
I finished knitting the cowl and it curls a lot.
What is the best way to block it so hopefully it will stop curling. I don’t want to ruin the pattern so should I emerce it in water or steam it ?
Thanks for you help!
Alice
Hi Alice,
Thanks for writing in! Blocking will certainly help with curling! I would suggest wet blocking the cowl by placing the finished cowl in a basin with warm water and a leave in wool wash like Soak. Leave the item for at least 15 minutes and then squeeze out the water being sure not to wring the item. Then place the cowl on a dry towel and let it fully dry!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Just read through all the comments, Cassy…bless you! You have to have the patience of Job! Love this pattern…so much fun to work. Going to try working it with some silk I already had that fits the gauge…hopefully, it will look as good as your picture…
Thank you so much Robbie!
Best,
Cassy
For those wanting a scarf and not minding if the stitch pattern is pivoted … make the cowl as written (Perhaps increasing in units of 4 to get your desired length) and sewing, then cutting, a steek in it and hemming the ends? Yes, the thorns will point to the side and not up and down for a scarf … For a shawl (both width and length would need to be added) the thorns would be back to being on the vertical.
Thank you for the gorgeous pattern.
Cordially,
Tracie
Hi, I just want to make sure that my math is correct, I want to use good wool instead of understory, so am I correct in thinking that I would only need two and a half skeins altogether because of the yardage difference? Thanks a bunch!
Hello Charlotte,
Thank you for reaching out- you are correct!
Good luck with your project and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I love this pattern, but am wondering about other yarns that would be a good substitute. Would Linen Quill be an option?
Hello Kris,
Thank you for reaching out! I think that this cowl would be beautiful in Linen Quill, I think you should go for it. 🙂
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hello! I would love to knit this up with the 750m of yarn I have but I do not have 40″ needles. I have 36″ and 48″. Would it be possible to use either of these lengths or would there be a way to adjust the pattern? Thanks!
Hello Adriann,
Thank you for reaching out! I think you will be totally fine using your 36″ circular needles for this project. Your stitches will just be slightly more scrunched up, but this shouldn’t be to much of an issue.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Hello. I just finished making this beautiful cowl! I used 100% Merino instead of the Understory and the fabric keeps curling up on both edges. Any suggestions to prevent this curling?
Hello Marisa,
Thank you for reaching out! I would suggest wet blocking the cowl by placing the finished cowl in a basin with warm water and a leave in wool wash like Soak. Leave the item for at least 15 minutes and then squeeze out the water being sure not to wring the item. Then place the cowl on a dry towel and let it fully dry!
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hi! So if I get 3 skeins of Understory and cast on 288 stitches do you think the cowl would still have nice drape around an average-sized neck? And would that still be enough yarn to achieve a height of 15 inches for the cowl? Many thanks for the gorgeous pattern.
Hello Marly,
Thank you for reaching out! Yes, I think you will still get a lovely drape. As far as height goes it is hard to say, you will certainly get closer to the 15″ I would say you will likely get to 14″, but this is an approximation.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
The Thorn Stitch Cowl pattern is simply beautiful, however, it is too much fabric for me because the height is 15 inches with a cast on of 308 stitches. I would like the height to be shorter–perhaps 9 or 10 inches and still fit comfortably around my neck, and I was wondering what my cast on number of stitches should be. Is there a particular way to figure this out?
Thank you for such beautiful patterns!
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for reaching out! Since the cast on is the length of the cowl, if you wish to keep the length the same, you can cast on the same number of stitches and simply stop knitting when you reach your desired height.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi. This is for anyone who can answer, please. On November 25, 2017, user Anya said the pattern can be converted into one for flat work this way:
“by purling and slipping stitches with yarn in the front in even rows 2,4,6,8 in the reverse order.”
What does “in the reverse order” mean?
Thanks for anyone’s help, and ago Purl Soho for letting people riff on their patterns.
Hi T,
Thanks for reaching out! Although I haven’t tested it out myself, I believe Anya means you would work the stitches in the row from the end to the beginning – for example, in Row 2, you would work it as “Knit 3, Slip 3.”
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
If I want to knit this as a shawl, what is th multiple of stitches? I would like the shawl 18″ by 80″. When we work the even number rows backwards, do we turn or slide the stitches first? Last question, any guess on the yardage I’ll need?
I LOVE your patterns with the tutorials. It really makes the pattern friendlier for us newer knitters!
Hello Leah,
Thank you for reaching out and for your kind words! While we do not have a version of this stitch knit flat, the stitch multiple for working it in the round is just a multiple of 4.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello Marilla,
I’ve just found this wonderful cowl and plan to knit one (at least one since all nice things end up in my sister’s wardrope).
I struggle with row 3:
I slip one to the right needle and put back the marker – ok
I slip one more to the right needle – ok
and then: ssk – does this mean I slip 2 more and just knit 1?
and then I knit 1, knit 2 together and slip one more?
I should come out with 4 knits after the marker and if I count this I have 7 knits on the right needle now….
I feel a bit lost right now.
Thanks for your patience.
Hello Claudia,
Thank you for reaching out! I hope I can clear things up for you. For row 3 your first step is correct, you remove stitch maker slip 1, replace stitch marker on right needle. Next you slip one, ssk, knit one. Slip slip knit is its own stitch separate from the slipped stitch right before it. After your “slip one, ssk, knit one” you are going into your stitch repeat of “k2tog, slip 1, ssk, k1,”.
I hope this clears things up and happy knitting!
-Marilla
This pattern is just beautiful! I’m interested in using linen quill to make the cowl. My basic question is, would you use a size 5 knitting needle? Thank you!
Hello Debra,
Thanks for reaching out! This cowl’s gauge is a bit larger than Linen Quill so I would knit up a gauge swatch on either a US3 or US4 and then use that swatch to figure out your cast on! You will just want to make sure that your cast on is a multiple of four stitches.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I love your patterns! Thank you for sharing them! I’ve read all the questions and responses and I’m going to ask a question you’ve been asked more than once. Apologies in advance.
I am not a “circular needle” knitter and I’m wondering if you’ve figured out how to make this gorgeous cowl flat knitted? Thanks for your time!
Hi Robin,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we don’t currently have instructions to knit this stitch flat, but I will certainly pass your request along to the design team!
Best,
Julianna
I haven’t tried it out, but basically all you have to do is work the even numbered rows in purl instead of knit and back to front.
So it would read
Row 1 as stated in pattern above.
Row 2: *purl 3, slip3 , repeat from * to end of row
Row 3 as stated in pattern above
Row 4: purl 1 *slip 1, purl 3, repeat from * to last 3 stitches, slip 1 , purl2
Row 5 as stated in pattern
Row 6 purl 1, slip 3 , *purl 3, slip 3, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, purl2
Row 7 as stated in pattern
Row 8 *purl 3, slip 1, repeat from * to end of round
I have other projects going before I’ll start this one and I’ll be knitting it in the round, but perhaps someone would like to give it a try and leave a comment for the others if it works.
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks so much for the instructions. I am starting this scarf now and as I am not a circular needle knitter I will test out your instructions and let you know how I go.
Kind Regards
Elaine….Australia.
I just spent a whole day with this thing and it isn’t making any sense at all. 308 stitches is a lot of stitches to have to redo over and over. I would prefer a video tutorial or some kind of visual chart. Knitting abbreviations just make my head spin. please keep in mind there are a lot of visual learners out there. such a beautiful pattern deserves better instructions.
Hi Ursina,
Thanks for writing in. I’m so sorry to hear that our instructions have been confusing. I’m a visual learner as well, so I completely understand needing to see something to understand it, so I wanted to point you in the direction of some of our tutorials! We have video tutorials for all of the techniques used in this design: Long Tail Cast-On, Yarn Over (yo), Slip Slip Knit (ssk), and Knit Two Together (k2tog). We also have a handy guide that explains all of the abbreviations and terms we use in our patterns, or that are common in other knitting patterns: Knitting Abbreviations + Terms. I hope these give you a better sense of what you’ll need to do as you knit this pattern!
All the best,
Lili
I am looking forward to diving in on this project on an upcoming flight. I happen to have size 7, 40 in needles – would the pattern work with a larger needle? Are there adjustments I would need to make? Thank you!
Hi Cat,
Thanks for reaching out! I would recommend knitting a gauge swatch in pattern to see if you will be happy with the stitch on a larger needle. If you are a tight knitter, it is possible that your gauge will turn out the same as ours and you won’t have to make any pattern modifications! If your gauge is looser than ours but you are still happy with how the stitch looks, you can then multiply your stitches per inch by 56 inches and round to the nearest multiple of four to determine how many stitches to cast on.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Question: I am not familiar with the term used to start Round 1 and Round 5 before the bracketed [k1,yo, k1] “Into the next stitch” . Please explain exactly what “into the next stitch” means here. Thanks.
Hi Pamela,
Thanks for reaching out! This means that you will be working all of the stitches between the brackets into a single stitch. In other words, you will knit the stitch by inserting your right hand needle, wrapping your yarn, and bringing your needle back through the stitch to the front, but do not slide the stitch off the left hand needle. You will then wrap your yarn around the needle to create a yarn over, and knit the same stitch again, this time sliding it off the needle when you are done.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I t is such a beautiful pattern. I started the cowl yesterday and now getting to Row #3
I have a silly but important question:
Row #3 : is the slip stitch the YO stitch from the previous Row #1
Thanks!
Hi Anita,
Thanks for writing in with this question! In Row 1 you worked [k1, yarn over (yo), k1] into your first stitch, then at the beginning of Row 2 you slipped all 3 of these stitches, so the first stitch you’ll be slipping at the beginning of Row 3 is the k1 from the [k1, yarn over (yo), k1]. You will go on to slip the YO, and then work a SSK using the k1 from that stitch group and one of the stitches from the k3 that followed it. I hope this makes sense and is helpful, but do let me know if you have any more questions!
Happy knitting!
Gaby
For the ssk stitches do you also make those slips pearl wise? Or do them traditionally knit wise?
Thank you!
Hi Jessica,
Great question! You would slip both stitches knitwise.
Happy knitting,
Oscar
Could I make this as a scarf?
Hi Bonita,
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately, we don’t have official instructions for knitting this stitch flat, but if you scroll to the first few comments, you will see that a customer named Stephanie reinterpreted our pattern for straight needles! Her instructions should work over any multiple of four stitches.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
I have knitted to row #3 and it says to remove stitch marker and slip a stitch and put marker back on right needle. Should I slip this stitch back again left of marker when starting row one again?
Hi Deb,
Thanks for reaching out! Once you slip the stitch and replace the maker you don’t slip it back, you start working the row from there! So you remove the maker, slip the first stitch to you right needle, place the stitch maker onto your right needle and then go directly on with the rest of the directions (slip 1, ssk, k1, *k2tog, slip 1, ssk, k1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2tog. [308 stitches])!
I hope this clarifies things!
Gianna
I was wondering about if you just leave the marker slipped when beginning another pattern repeat or move it back to the original position again for starting row one?
Hi Deb,
Thanks for reaching out again! Once it tells you to slip the maker it should stay there unless stated otherwise, you don’t move it back.
All the best,
Gianna
I want to make this as a scarf knitted flat according to the directions of a comment above. How many stitches would you suggest I cast on for a scarf about 10” wide?
Thanks
Hi Ellen,
Thanks for reaching out! Assuming that your gauge is consistent with the pattern I would recommend casting on 56 stitches (Keep in mind this stitch pattern is worked over a multiple of four stitches) for approximately 10″ wide!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
The NOTE says to slip purlwise. Does this include while making an “ssk”?
Hi Maureen,
Thanks for reaching out! You will slip all the slip stitches purlwise, but the ssk is a bit different, to work an ssk, you slip one stitch knitwise with the yarn in back (wyib) from the left needle to the right needle, then you slip one stitch purlwise wyib! For more info on this decrease, I would suggest checking out our lovely Slip Slip Knit (ssk) tutorial!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
I am thinking of making this with some left over Understory from a previous project. I only have two skeins, and a 56” circumference is big, so what would be the size with my two skeins? I am terrible at math. Thanks!
Hi Marjie,
Thanks for reaching out! If you have 2 skeins, you could make the cowl a once around, so that it is only about half the circumference! For example, you could have a cowl about 24 inches in circumference. If you would like that, I would suggest casting on 132 stitches (keep in mind that this pattern works over a multiple of 4 stitches!) and you can follow the pattern till you reach your desired height!
I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any more questions!
Gianna
The gauge states 22sts and 32rows = 4″
Why cast on 22sts and not 20 if the pattern is worked over a multiple of four stitches?
Hi Mary,
Thanks so much for writing in! When you are ready to cast on your swatch, you will be casting on more than the 22 stitches, you will want to cast on about 30 stitches and knit for 40 rows in pattern to get a good sense of your gauge. The 22 sts and 32rows are just the amount of stitches you will be measuring for the 4″x 4″ requirement. We have some very helpful resources here on how to knit a gauge swatch and here for learning to swatch in the round!
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Carly
I just started this lovely project. I’m at the end of round 3, but I seem to be off, since I don’t have remaining stitches for “repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2tog” (the original *k2tog, slip 1, ssk, k1 took me to the BOR stitch marker). What could I have done wrong?
Also, do I ever move the stitch marker back to it’s original position?
Hi Emma!
Thank you for your questions! If you are running out of stitches in Round 3, I would suggest going back to Round 1 and making sure that you had the right number of stitches after that round, so that the instructions for Round 3 will work as intended. After Round 1, you should have 462 stitches. The stitch count alternates between 462 stitches and 308 stitches throughout this eight row repeat, with the stitch marker moving around the row as you repeat this section throughout the cowl, to accommodate the increased and decreased stitches.
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Margaret
I am running into the same issue. Counting the stitches in the pattern stated, it’s an odd number of stitches, but it should be 462, an even number.
“Remove stitch marker, slip 1, place stitch marker on right needle, slip 1, ssk, k1, *k2tog, slip 1, ssk, k1, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, k2tog.”
The first set is 5, right? Then the repeat is 6, then the last two. That leaves us with one missing stitch.
Hi Crystal,
Thanks for writing in! The reason that this round may seem off in terms of stitch count is because you’re changing the position of the end-of-round marker, which seemingly adds one stitch to the round. When you slip the first stitch and then replace the stitch marker, this moves the end of the round one stitch further. I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Hello, lovely design – thank you!
When you say slip 3 stitches purlwise, do you slip them one by one – or all three at once?
Best regards,
Anne-Line
Hi Anne-Line,
Thank you for writing in! When it comes time to slip 3 stitches purlwise in this pattern, you will slip them one at a time, with the yarn held in back unless otherwise stated.
I hope this helps, and happy knitting!
All the best,
Margaret
Thank you! /Anne-Line