Moon Rock Cowl

An easy to knit textured cowl utilizing only the knit and purl stitches with two separate stitch patterns, the Garter Stitch Ridge and the Caterpillar Stitch. The inspiration for this design is the colors of nature you find in the Midwest during the winter months. The neutral color showcases the simple texture of the stitch patterns. The yarn chosen is Cascade 220 Superwash Sport for its easy care and stitch definition characteristics; however, any sport weight yarn will work for the design. The cowl is worked in the round and from bottom up on US10 circular needles with a 32 inch cord. The design itself contains a middle section comprised of Caterpillar Stitch surrounded by two rows of Garter Stitch Ridge on the top and the bottom.

Size

One size.

Cowl measures 18” (45.72 cm) tall and approximately 36” (91.44 cm) in circumference.

Yarn

Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Sport (100% Superwash Merino Wool, 136 yards [125 meters]/1.75 ounces [50 grams]): 219 Moon Rock, 3 hanks

Needles

Size US 10 (6 mm): 29” circular

Notions

Stitch marker; tapestry needle

Gauge

16 sts and 20 rows = 4” [10 cm] in St st after wet blocking

Notes

This pattern in worked in the round from bottom up.
The cowl for this pattern requires no shaping and is comprised of two textured stitch patterns on a background of St st.

Charts

Garter Stitch Ridge

Caterpillar Stitch

Stitch Patterns

Garter Stitch Ridge Pattern

Rnds 1-4: Knit
Rnd 5: Purl
Rnd 6: Knit
Rnds 7-10: Repeat rnds 5 and 6 a total of 2 times each.

Repeat these 10 rnds one more time for a total of 20 rnds.

Caterpillar Stitch Pattern

Rnd 1: K4, p2, *k6, p2, rep from * to end.
Rnd 2: K3, p2, *k6, p2, rep from * until 1 st rem, k1.
Rnd 3: K2, p2, *k6, p2, rep from * until 2 sts rem, k2.
Rnd 4: K1, p2, *k6, p2, rep from * until 3 sts rem, k3.
Rnd 5: P2, *k6, p2, rep from * until 4 sts rem, k4.
Rnd 6: Knit

Cowl

CO 150 sts

Begin working in Garter Stitch Ridge pattern, inserting marker at beginning of rnd to mark the start of each new rnd.

Work in Garter Stitch Ridge for 20 rnds (repeat the 10-round stitch pattern a total of 2 times).

Knit 4 rounds to set up for the next stitch pattern.

Begin working in Caterpillar Stitch Pattern.

Work the Catepiller Stitch Pattern for a total of 48 rnds (repeat the stitch pattern a total of 8 times).

Begin working Garter Stitch Ridge pattern, working two full repeats of rounds 1-10 for a total of 20 rnds.

Knit 2 more rnds.

BO knitwise.

Finishing

Weave in ends.
Block the cowl lightly to straighten out rolling of edges.

About the Designer: Kristina Smiley

Kristina is an enthusiastic fiber artist with a passion for crochet, knitting, spinning, weaving, hand painting, and dyeing yarn. She is a lifelong Indiana native with a love of nature, family, and education. Her hobbies include anything fiber related, reading, cooking, gardening, and researching to learn new techniques. She lives in the Midwest with her loving husband and the youngest of their three children. Her designs include elements of her character and include anything from unique and interesting stitch patterns to names based on favorite foreign words.