Stranded colorwork always packs a punch and this quick and easy cowl is no exception. I had such fun with my Grid System Socks that I just had to keep working with the interesting little stitch pattern I had worked out.

So this time instead of fingering weight yarns, I dug into my stash for some sturdier, warmer yarn. I easily came up with a nice worsted for the background color but had a bit of trouble matching an appropriate contrasting yarn for the “windows”. Eventually I decided to think outside the box and use some fun homespun yarn that was actually DK weight. Held double, the yarn was pretty much worsted weight (a bit heavier, actually, but it didn’t matter for this project.)

And what a fast knit this was! A couple of days and I was finished! I decided to begin and end the cowl with a stockinette rolled edge that blended in nicely with parts of the stranded and textured pattern. No struggling with ribbing, a cowl is meant to be loose and floppy! Three sizes (widths) are given, all have the same height/length. The stitch pattern is given as a chart and is written out.

This is a good project for leftover skeins from other projects—if you have 2 half skeins of worsted you are in business! Note that the yardage for the contrasting color will be even less than what I have listed here if you choose a worsted weight yarn (I used DK but it was doubled so the yardage shows up as more).

Yarn recommendations: main or background color should be a solid worsted weight that is soft and cushy on the skin. Contrasting color can be solid or variegated but should be a strongly different or contrasting color to the main color.

Materials:
Yarn: Main color as shown: Manos del Uruguay, Maxima (worsted weight) in colorway M22413 Regatta (navy blue); 45 g. (100 yds).

Contrasting color as shown: Twisted Southpaw Homespun Yarn (DK weight held double) in colorway Dr. Falcier; 38 g (76 yds).

Needles in size US 5 OR size needed to obtain the gauge
Stitch markers
Tapestry needle

Gauge:
20 ST and 38 rows = 4 inches in blocked stockinette with main color worsted yarn. Getting exact gauge is not so crucial since this is cowl.

Finished sizes: Ladies M (L, XL). The M size is shown; measures ca. 19” in diameter (unstretched). L size measures ca. 22” and the XL size measures ca. 25” in diameter. All 3 sizes have the same length of ca. 7 “ (note that the top and bottom have rolled hems, I did not unroll them for measuring).