Boucle Cowl

Knitting
May 2020
Bulky (7 wpi) ?
US 6 - 4.0 mm
US 11 - 8.0 mm
60 - 109 yards (55 - 100 m)
English
This pattern is available as a free Ravelry download

Finally, a pattern designed for showing off your favourite handspun art yarns (the more texture, the better!). While this pattern is written using a boucle yarn, which is my own preferred method of spinning a textured, thick and thin yarn, beehives, coils, or even corespun yarns would work nicely as well.

If you’re a spinner, this pattern walks you through the paces of spinning your own boucle handspun in just a few easy steps.

YARNS
For the ribbing, you will need 50g of a commercial DK yarn in a contrasting or coordinating colour or an additional 25 g of coordiniating fibre, if you’d also like to spin your ribbing. (My samples used 20 meters of yarn in total for the bands of ribbing.)

You will need a 100g bump of spinning fibre for the main body/centre portion of the cowl, as well as a thread-weight commercial yarn suitable to serve as the core and plying thread of your boucle. (I prefer linen, but mohair works well too.) Nearly any type of fibre will work here. I have used a handpainted BFL top from my shop, The Wheel Ewe.

GAUGE
Gauge is variable, depending on your yarn. Mine is approximately a DK weight. Your cowl may have a looser or slightly tighter structure depending on your spinning.

SIZE/SCHEMATIC
21 cm height
60 cm body circumference
50 cm ribbing circumference

TOOLS + NOTIONS

  • 4 mm and 8 mm circular needles with a 64 mm cable length (or longer if you prefer the magic loop method). Feel free to change needle size upward or downward by one (size), based on your own gauge

  • Stitch marker to mark beginning/end of row

  • Tapestry needle for weaving in ends

  • Spinning wheel of choice

  • Thread/laceweight yarn suitable for corespinning