The history of the cowl, which comes from the Latin meaning “hood.” goes all the way back to the Middle Ages when they first became the formal wear of those who were in the monastic life. The cowl was usually attached to a long cloak with wide sleeves and provided warmth for those who spent long hours in the cold and drafty churches during the colder seasons.
Recently, the term is applied a lot more loosely to anything that is draped and hangs off the neck. During the 1970’s, the cowl sweater had its heyday with its long draped neckline and bell-shaped sleeves. And today the cowl stands alone, detached from any sort of garment, to provide the same warmth it did many centuries ago but now in your drafty house (or over air-conditioned office). And getting to look a wee bit more cute to boot!
This particular cowl features a cute, feminine lace heart motif and is knit up in soft, plush Malabrigo in a supple kelly green (as to not make it too predictable in a pink or a red colorway). But this pattern is simple and quite versatile and can be quite easily modified to suit ones own needs and taste.
Gauge
26sts/20rws at 4” in the heart lace panel (slightly blocked) on US 8/5mm needles
Sizes and Measurements
One size
Actual Measurements 10.5 × 8” (26.7 × 20.3cm)
Materials
- Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted [100% merino wool, 216yd / 198m per 100g skein]; color: Jade Sapphire; 1 skein
- 1 US 8 / 5mm circular needle, 16” long
- Stitch marker
- Darning needle
Directions
(Popknits uses knittinghelp.com's standard abbreviations)
Please see pattern's other notes.
Loosely CO 111 stitches. PM to mark off the end of the round and join being careful not to twist your stitches. K all sts one round.
Work Heart Lace pattern.
Heart Lace Pattern (10 rounds, multiple of 12 sts plus 3): (also, see chart below)
Round 1: K2, *YO, k2tog, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3, SKP, yo, k1; rep from *, end with K1.
Round 2 and all even numbered rounds: K all stitches
Round 3: K2, *k1, YO, k4tog, yo, k3, yo, SK4P (sl next 4 stitches knitwise, one at a time, insert LH needle into front of these sts and k them tog), yo, k2; rep from *, end with K1
Round 5: K2, *k1, K2tog, YO, k5, YO, SKP, K2; rep from *, end with K1
Round 7: K2, *K2tog, YO, k7, YO, SKP, K1; rep from *, end with K1
Round 9: K1, K2tog, *YO, k9, YO, sl1-k2tog-psso; rep from *, in the last repeat of the pattern, *YO, k9, YO, SKP, K1 (instead of sl1-k2tog, psso)
Don’t forget about Round 10!
Repeat Heart Lace pattern until about 8 inches (20.3 cm) with the bottom edge unrolled or desired length. End with Round 4. Knit all stitches for one more round. BO loosely.
Slightly steam block to open up the lace pattern some. Enjoy!
Click on image for larger sizes at Flickr or…
Download this chart as a PDF
Other Notes
Editor’s Note: The cowl as written produces a large and floppy cowl. If you desire a cowl that is smaller and closer to your neck, reduce the cast-on stitch count by a multiple of 12 (24 seems to be a good bet.)
About the Author
Sandra Park enjoys medium Original-flavored Pinkberry topped with Cap’n Crunch, strawberries, and bananas, playing Animal Crossing: Wild World on her Nintendo DS, and watching National League baseball. If you want to exchange Animal Crossing friend codes with her, talk about what a joke the designated hitter is and/or have inquires about this pattern or life, visit her at her blog http://sandraheartshearts.wordpress.com.
Credits
Photos by Sandra Park
Model: Sandra Park
From Flickr
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Errata
There are no reported errors in this pattern. Found something? Please Contact Us.
License
La-La-Love-You Cowl by
Sandra Park is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at
http://www.popknits.com/index.php/patterns/page/la_la_love_you_cowl/.
