Wow. Almost 11k Ravelry members have knitted this cowl. It’s a fun and easy project. Mine came out to the exact dimensions specified in the pattern. When choosing yarn, pick 3 colors that have good contrast. My colors:

A - The lightest (white multi)
B - Medium (baby blue multi)
C - Darkest (purple multi)

Color A will frame your face.
Color B falls predominantly in the middle.
Color C predominates at the bottom of the cowl.
This is if you follow the directions in the pattern. You’ll use approximately equal amounts of each color, if you follow the directions in the pattern.

Lots of people are “doing their own thing” by using more than 3 colorways and alternating them in different sequences. It’s a great stash buster. I followed the pattern directions to the letter.

Do you love Spincycle yarn but can’t afford it? This new yarn from Rico Creative is plied in a similar way, but costs much less. The weight of this yarn varies a bit. In some parts, its a little lighter weight than DK - actually more like a sport weight yarn. However, I was able to match gauge with the recommended needle size. Overall, I’d say it’s DK weight, though.

Yarn Fiber content:

49% cotton
46% acrylic
5% polyester

It has a nice feel and it’s machine washable. I love the way the different colors are plied together. It would be nice to see a lot more colorways than are currently offered. These 3 colors each have some pink and pale yellow in them.

Mattress Stitch Video Tutorial