Charcoal Loop in Schachenmayr Silver Print - Downloadable PDF

Charcoal Loop in Schachenmayr Silver Print – Free Knitting Pattern Summary

This free downloadable PDF pattern from Schachenmayr guides knitters through creating a stylish, oversized knitted loop cowl using the brand's Silver Print yarn. The finished cowl measures approximately 71 cm in circumference and 36 cm in width, making it a generously sized, cosy accessory perfect for wrapping around the neck in cold weather. The pattern is worked entirely in the round, combining two distinct stitch textures for visual interest and a professional finish.

What Is Being Made

The project is a loop-style cowl — a seamless, tube-shaped neckwarmer that sits comfortably around the neck and shoulders. Its generous dimensions mean it can be worn doubled up for extra warmth or left as a single loop for a more relaxed, draped look. The design is well-suited to beginner-intermediate knitters who are comfortable working in the round and following a simple repeating stitch pattern.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn: Schachenmayr Silver Print, a super chunky weight yarn. The Silver Print range is known for its subtle colour variation and slight sheen, which adds depth and visual texture to simple stitch patterns.
• Needles: Two circular needle sizes are used — 8 mm for the cast-on and seed stitch border section, and 10 mm for the main body worked in the textured pattern stitch.
• A stitch marker is required to mark the beginning of the round.

Techniques Used

• Casting on in the round: 78 stitches are cast on using the 8 mm needle, then joined to work seamlessly in the round.
• Working in the round (circular knitting): The entire cowl is knitted in the round, eliminating any seaming.
• Needle size change: After completing the border, knitters switch to the larger 10 mm needle to achieve the correct gauge and drape for the main pattern section.
• Stitch marker placement and shifting: A notable technique in this pattern is that the round marker shifts two stitches to the left on every second round due to the nature of the stitch pattern. Knitters must be attentive to this movement to maintain pattern alignment.

Stitches Used

• Seed Stitch (Perlmuster): The first 10 rounds are worked in seed stitch using the 8 mm needle. Seed stitch creates a bumpy, textured fabric that lies flat and provides a neat, stable border for the cowl.
• Main Pattern Stitch (Grundmuster) — a yarn-over decrease lace-effect pattern: The body of the cowl is worked in a three-stitch repeat pattern that combines yarn overs (Umschlag), slip stitches, and knit stitches with a passed slipped stitch over (psso). This creates an open, slightly lacy, wave-like texture that is both lightweight and visually striking.

Stitch Pattern Detail

The main pattern stitch requires a stitch count divisible by 3 and is worked over a three-round sequence:

• Round 1: Yarn over, slip 1 stitch, knit 2, pass slipped stitch over the last two knitted stitches — repeat across the round. This creates the characteristic decrease-and-yarn-over combination that forms the pattern's open texture.
• Round 2: All stitches and yarn overs are knitted, consolidating the pattern row.
• Round 3: The pattern is offset by 2 stitches — the first two stitches are slipped at the beginning of the round, the pattern repeat is worked across, and the two held stitches are worked at the end of the round to complete the shift. This offsetting is what causes the round marker to migrate and gives the pattern its diagonal, flowing character.

After working rounds 1 to 3 once, rounds