Pattern: Spring/Summer Tri-Strand Cowl

I love working with multiple strands of yarn. Not sure why, but I do! I saw this piece at Loopy Mango down in Soho and decided to make it! It was a simple and freeform piece that knitted up in a jiffy. It was made by Waejong of Loopy Mango. Anna, the other half of the Loopy Mango, helped me figure out what the pattern was! It’s great for summer-weight yarns. It is knitted using Circular Knitting while holding 3 strands of yarn together. This is a quick and easy pattern. About 8 hours. Great for a travelin’ knit. Perfect for a Beginner knitter who’d also like to try Circular Knitting.

I used an Ella Rae Lace Merino, a fingering weight yarn made in Italy. But the beautiful super-fine yarns over at Habu Textiles would be a perfect substitution! Try one of their exotic handcrafted fibers for an extra special finish.

Pattern #2 of my Beaches, Bikes, & Babes Collection for Spring/Summer 2011. 4 more to come! Twist it up for a double thick cowl or wear it as a hood!

Materials:
1 Hanks Ella Rae Lace Merino Color #21 – Deep Purple, 100% Superwash Merino Wool, 460 yards. $20 per hank
2 Hanks Ella Rae Lace Merino Color #118 – Maroon, Grey, Charcoal, 100% Superwash Merino Wool, 460 yards. $23 per hank
US Size 13 [9mm] Circular Knitting Needles, 24″. Clover Takumi Velvets, $15

Skill Level: Beginner

Measurements & Sizing*:
Width: Approx. 20 inches
Height: Approx. 19 inches
One Size Fits All

Pattern:
Body:
Cast on 108 stitches. I used the Long Tail Cast On.
Mark the end of the row with a stitch marker. Join row.
Rows 1- 10: Knit stitch until end of round
Rows 11- 20: Purl stitch until end of round
Repeat [Rows 1-20] 3 more times!
You will have 4 sets each of Stockinette Stitch and Garter Stitch. A total of 80 rows in all!

Finish:
Rows 1-7: Knit until end of round
Row 8: Knit 2 together (K2tog), Yarn Over (yo). Repeat until end of round.
Row 9: Knit until end of round.
Row 10: Cast off.
Weave in ends.

Drawstring Cord:
Using Crochet: Chain Stitch about 2-3 feet of cord. I used a Crochet Hook Size I [6.00mm]
Weave in through Finish Row #8.
Make some tassels for the cord if you like!

Notes:
It turned out way too floppy and saggy for me. A bit too bulky. Since it’s already an oversized knit, I would definitely suggest knitting on the tight side.

I’m also a loose knitter, so I stopped at 7 sections (70 rows) and then began the Finishing. So I had a total of 8 sections (80 rows) instead of 9 (90 rows) when I was finished. Going back I would have either gone down one needle size to make it less floppy or knitted tighter!

To join in the round and begin circular knitting, it’s simple! Cast on as normal. Then when beginning your next row, knit into the first stitch of your cast on row! That’s really all there is to it.

You are basically connecting the last stitch you just made to the first stitch you made (the one with the slip knot in it). Since the last stitch is the one with the working yarn hanging from it, you will be making a ring out of your cast on row when you knit into the first stitch!

Place your stitch marker right in between the 2 stitches to mark the end of the round. From there you just knit around and around until you’re done with your pattern. Never having to turn your work. Just make sure to check your cast on row for twisted stitches before joining AND that you are always knitting with the “right side” facing you. The side that will be showing when your work is done!

Knitting Tips by Judy has a good video on YouTube illustrating circular knitting nicely.

*Measurements and Sizing: The measurements were taken with the piece laid flat, when it looks almost like a square. But the piece has a lot of drape. So when worn, it will stretch and sag to much more than the measurements given. The measurements given are a good minimum size. It is a one size fits all but it may be too big or too small for some. So I would say take some time to swatch it if you are very particular about fit and drape!