I traveled several times to the Great Lakes area of the United States—right in the middle of a rough winter. While I don’t normally need heavy winter gear where I live, it was painfully obvious that winter in that part of the country was a whole different animal. I can’t tell you how much I wished I’d had this cowl with me (or its counterpart, the Glacier Wrap) to ward off the bone-chilling wind on those icy days. The dense zig-zag fabric of the Glacier Cowl is knit with marled two-tone wool and is just what you’ll want for the coldest days of winter.

Worked in the round with a four-row repeat, the texture is created with alternating rows of decreases and increases. Be cautious not to count your stitches after round 2 or 4 as you’ll naturally lose stitches on those rows due to decreases. Rows 3 and 5, which feature staggered increases, will make up the difference; by the time you end the four-row repeat you should be back to your original stitch count.

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner

Yardage: 328 yards (300 m)

Needle Sizes: U.S. size 8/5 mm (24” 60 cm) circular needle