My ongoing love of traditional types of geometric and symmetrical patterns continues with this elegant colorwork cowl.

This cowl was designed as a MKAL in the spring of 2020 as a vehicle to teach several less common techniques, the foremost of which being knitting (and cutting) a steek. Original participants in the MKAL received detailed instructions in 6 individual installments, many of them with supporting blog post tutorials that demonstrated further photos and details. The tutorials are still live, and are noted in this single consolidated pattern in the appropriate place.

Superwash yarn in fingering weight works quite well for this project and the steek is designed to be extra wide partially due to the slicker nature of superwash yarn. Two steek stabilization methods are discussed and demonstrated (only one is necessary, the knitter may choose their favorite). One method requires a felting needle punch and mat and the other requires access to a sewing machine. If using nontreated fingering weight yarn, additional stabilization is not necessary but the steek should still be knitted as described.

This pattern is suitable for the intermediate knitter interested in learning how to steek a project. The inclusion of numerous tutorial links and many embedded photos within the pattern itself should be sufficient to help most knitters with the unusual or lesser used techniques that also appear in this project. Those are: a provisional cast on, folded picot hem, buttonhole, steek, picking up stitches, and, of course, stranded colorwork.

Materials:
Yarn: Olive & Two Ewe, Twain fingering: 75 % SW merino, 25 % nylon in colorways:

• Ella’s Cinders: 26 g/120 yds.

• Swan White: 23 g/106 yds.

• Spindle Prick Red: 54 g/250 yds.

• Rumpelstiltskin’s Gold: 3 g/ 14 yds.

• As shown, a single pewter or silver-tone 20-25 mm button of the shank type is required.

Please note that matching glove pattern as shown in the first photo is sold separately. Please check my store for Grimm’s Black Forest Gloves.