Spin your own 12-14 WPI yarn from hand-dyed wool top to knit the Agate Cowl! With two-ply yarn spun from dyed top split lengthwise, the color distribution creates subtle stripes reminiscent of agate in cross-section slices. Rocks are cool.

Agate Cowl is designed with plied self-striping/multicolor handspun yarn in mind, but if you don’t spin or would prefer ready-made options, store bought is fine. Easily substitute a handspun-like commercial yarn with a similar color scheme (e.g. Noro Silk Garden Sock), or use fingering- or sportweight scraps to replicate the fade/slow stripe effect.

Agate Cowl is knit both flat and in the round, and requires 8 buttons for finishing when worked as shown.

Materials:

• 420-450yds of 12-14 WPI plied handspun from 4 ounces Inglenook Fibers Polwarth top or Malabrigo Yarn Nube, OR 420-450 yds Noro Silk Garden Sock.
• 1 40”+circular needle in US4/3.5, or size needed for gauge
• 3.5mm crochet hook, or size preferred for your yarn
• Scrap yarn for provisional cast-on
• 6 removable stitch markers, or scrap yarn to mark stitches
• 8 buttons— ⅝-¾”
• Tapestry needle
• Optional: 16” circular needle in size needed for gauge, to avoid magic loop; sewing needle and thread for buttons, if needed

Gauge:
Gauge is 10.5 sts and 20 rows in 2”/5cm of blocked garter stitch. I took the gauge from the initial section, where work is flat, after blocking, and gauge was the same in the round as well. Please be sure to check your gauge even though I think this would be very cool knit in worsted weight for a big wrap alternative project.

Skills/Techniques:
knit, purl, increases, knit flat and in the round—all pretty easy and beginner-friendly on this one, I think.