Kitten Cowl

Kitten Cowl by Lily Tang

What is Being Made

The Kitten Cowl is a circular cowl designed by Lily Tang, perfect for adding warmth and style to any outfit. This knitted accessory features a finished circumference of 23.5 inches (60 cm) and a height to the top of 9.5 inches (24 cm), making it an ideal neck warmer that can be worn in various ways.

Techniques Used

This project employs several intermediate-level knitting techniques that add visual interest and complexity to the finished piece. The primary technique featured is fair isle colorwork, a traditional method of working with two colors in the same round to create intricate patterned designs. The cowl also incorporates bi-color ribbing, which alternates between two yarn colors within a knit-purl rib pattern to create a decorative striped effect. Additionally, the pattern requires twisting of the main color and contrasting color strands to manage yarn tension and prevent tangling during the colorwork sections.

Stitches Used

The Kitten Cowl utilizes fundamental stitches combined in strategic ways:

• Knit stitch (k) – the primary stitch used throughout most of the cowl
• Purl stitch (p) – used in ribbed sections at the beginning and end of the project
• Ribbing (k1p1) – creates elastic, textured edges that frame the colorwork design
• Fair isle colorwork – worked from a chart over 53 rounds, creating the distinctive patterned section

Materials and Tools

The Kitten Cowl is worked in sport weight yarn, a lightweight option that creates a fabric with excellent drape and comfort. The pattern calls for Motohiro Hungary Wool, a 100% wool yarn available in two colors: the main color (MC) in color 10 blue and the contrasting color (CC) in color 8 light blue. Each color requires 2 balls of yarn, with each ball containing 84 yards (77 meters) and weighing 35 grams.

The project requires circular needles in two sizes: size 4 (3.5 mm) and size 5 (3.75 mm), available in either 24-inch (60 cm) or 16-inch (40 cm) lengths depending on your preference and gauge. Additional supplies include stitch markers to denote the beginning of rounds and chart rows. The recommended gauge is 25 stitches and 34 rounds over 4 inches in stockinette stitch, making it essential to check your gauge before beginning to ensure proper fit.

Pattern Overview

The Kitten Cowl begins with casting on 150 stitches using the smaller circular needle and main color yarn. The construction starts with a single round of knit-one, purl-one ribbing for a neat edge. The bi-color ribbing section follows, alternating between the contrasting color and main color for 9 rounds to create a decorative striped band. After switching to the larger needle, the fair isle colorwork chart is worked three times across the round for a total of 53 rounds, creating the main visual feature of the cowl. The pattern then transitions back to stockinette stitch with the main color only for 4 rounds before returning to bi-color ribbing for another 9 rounds. The cowl concludes with a single round of knit-one, purl-one ribbing in the main color only, followed by binding off in pattern. Blocking to finished measurements ensures the cowl achieves its intended dimensions and drape.