Bandana Cowl in Rowan Brushed Fleece - RTP004-0008-DEP - Downloadable PDF

Bandana Cowl in Rowan Brushed Fleece by Martin Storey – Pattern Summary

About This Design

The Bandana Cowl is an original knitting pattern by designer Martin Storey, published under reference RTP004-0008-DEP and available as a downloadable PDF. It is a generously sized loop cowl — sometimes called a snood or infinity scarf — designed to be worn loosely around the neck and shoulders in the style of a classic bandana wrap. The finished piece measures approximately 81 cm in circumference and 53 cm in height, making it a substantial, cosy accessory with real visual impact.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for Rowan Brushed Fleece, a luxurious chunky weight yarn sold in 50g balls. Brushed Fleece is known for its exceptionally soft, halo-like surface created by brushing the fibres after spinning, giving finished knits a warm, cloud-like texture that is ideal for accessories worn close to the face and neck.

Three colourways are used across the design:

• Colour A – Crag 253: 1 ball
• Colour B – Rock 273: 2 balls
• Colour C – Cairn 263: 1 ball

The palette draws on earthy, natural tones that complement the rustic, textured quality of Brushed Fleece yarn. The total yarn requirement is modest at just 4 balls, making this an economical project as well as a quick knit.

Needles Required

Two sizes of straight or circular knitting needles are needed:

• 5 mm needles – used for the ribbed border sections at the cast-on and cast-off edges
• 6 mm needles – used for the main body of the cowl, where the textured slip-stitch colourwork pattern is worked

Tension and Gauge

The stated tension for this pattern is 15 stitches and 23 rows to 10 cm × 10 cm, measured over the main stitch pattern using 6 mm needles. Achieving the correct tension is particularly important with chunky yarns like Brushed Fleece, as even small variations can significantly affect the finished dimensions of a large accessory like this cowl.

Techniques and Construction

The cowl is knitted flat, beginning with a cast-on of 122 stitches on 5 mm needles using Colour B (Rock 273). Once the border ribbing is complete, the knitter switches to 6 mm needles to work the main colourwork body. After all pattern rows are completed, the side edges are seamed together to form the closed loop shape of the cowl.

Key construction techniques include:

• Flat knitting worked back and forth in rows, then seamed
• Colour changes across three yarn colours worked in a structured sequence of rows
• Seaming the side edges to close the cowl into its loop form
• Steaming and finishing as directed on the Rowan information page, to set the stitch pattern and open up the halo of the Brushed Fleece yarn

Stitches Used

The pattern combines several stitch techniques to create its distinctive layered, textured appearance:

• 2×2 Rib (knit 2, purl 2) – worked on 5 mm needles at the cast-on and cast-off borders to create neat, stretchy edges
• Stocking stitch (knit on right side, purl on wrong side) – used as the base fabric for the colourwork rows
• Slip stitch colourwork – the defining technique of this pattern, in which stitches are slipped purlwise with the yarn held at the back on right-side rows and at the front on wrong-side rows, creating a woven, interlocking colour effect without the need to strand or carry multiple yarns simultaneously across a row

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