I love lace patterns, but the fine yarn, tiny needles and shawl patterns I’ve found are a little more than I want to start with. This pattern is ideal for an advanced beginner who is ready to tackle a simple project using circular needles and a simple lace pattern of falling leaves. It can be worn in winter or summer if you use different yarns. In this example, it is knitted with Knit Picks Swish Goldrush Tonal 100% Merino Wool to represent the fall colors of leaves. This yarn is wonderful for a light weight cowl that can be knitted in different colors as a fashion accent and it comes in some beautiful colors.

The cowl is approximately 22” in diameter and 8” wide, which allows a nice drape in the front or you have plenty of fabric to pin at the neck with a nice shawl pin. The ear warmer (headband) is approximately 21” in diameter and 4” wide. I knitted both from one skein of Knit Picks Swish Tonal yarn (220 yds) with several yards left over. However, it was not enough to do a complete hat--I tried. The tonal colors reminded me of the leaves that are turning in fall, especially here in the mountains, hence the name.

You should knit a gauge swatch, at least 4” x 4”, in the Stitch Pattern to check your gauge and insure the cowl will be the size depicted in the pattern. Cast on a multiple of 10 stitches to set up your swatch (I used 30). This cowl is more attractive and will be more comfortable if you use a yarn that drapes nicely rather than being too stiff. This will probably be a worsted or lighter weight yarn.

If you estimate the gauge/size of one knitted repeat of the leaf pattern, you can increase or decrease size by adding or subtracting repeats.