It’s sparkly. It’s soft. It’s reversible in two brilliant color ways. I HAD to do it!

After many crochet projects, I just HAD to knit something fast!

I love crocheting and knitting – they each have their own wonderful characteristics and when I do one for too long, I need to switch gears and do the other. I need to.
That feeling hit me the other day when my eyes caught a glimpse of very colorful yarn that was a little sparkly, blinking at me from the yarn shop shelf.

It’s Araucania Yarns, Andalien. It’s a mostly wool with a hint of metallic and poly blend, braided together and super saturated with deep, rich color. I think it was the combination of color and sparkle that made it jump off the shelf and into my hands, demanding to be instantly knit. So, pushing all other projects aside, I cast on as soon as I returned home and was finished with the cowl that evening. Wow, did I have to knit! It just flew through my fingers!

Materials: Two hanks of Araucania, Andalien (89 yards each) and size 11 needle circular needles in a 32” length. One ring stitch marker.

I used one skein of color #1 and one skein of color #6. It is optional to knit the entire cowl with two hanks of one color yarn, as well.

The cowl measures 6 1/2” x 48” in circumference. Gauge is 3 stitches per inch
in a 2 x 2 rib stitch pattern.

Other color combinations that would be fun with this pattern:

#4 & #5; #2 & #8; and #3 & #7
Also #2 & #4; #3 & #4, #7 & #4 and #8 & #4

Here is the link to the KFI website for the yarn
http://www.knittingfever.com/c/yarn/araucania-andalien/

Note: I use an unconventional long tail cast on method. It provides a stretchy, relaxed start to the project. Hold both needle tips together, and cast on as if they were one needle. Don’t let the stitches fall off the cable. They will fit. Once you have 160 cast on, hold the stitches on at tips of the needles, gently hold the cable and slip one needle out. Your stitches will be distributed all around the cable and ready for you to straighten and join in the round. You can use this technique for any circular knitting project for a relaxed start.
And don’t we all want to relax?:)
Just give it a try! Have fun!
Thanks for all the interest in this pattern!
Thanks to Emily for modeling and pointing out all the yarn color ways! Isn’t she cute?

Another cowl in alternative yarn, Mirasol, Api, is also pictured.

Enjoy!