Indigo Borders by Helen Mawdsley

Indigo Borders

Knitting
October 2021
Perimeter Alpaca Lopi-style yarn
Seine River Shepherds yarn
Bulky (7 wpi) ?
9 stitches = 4 inches
in 3x3 ribbing
US 11 - 8.0 mm
175 - 186 yards (160 - 170 m)
One Size
English
This pattern is available for C$3.00 CAD buy it now

I designed this as part of the One Year One Outfit Project with the Pembina Fibreshed.

Flexible payment option: Enter coupon code FlexiblePayment to receive the pattern for half price.
Please feel free to use this pattern for charity knitting.

I found this brown yarn at a local fibre festival at Perimeter Alpacas (processed at Legacy Lane Fibre Mill). It is so soft and decadent. When I brought it home, I noticed how nicely it paired with this wool from another local farm, Seine River Shepherds (processed at Custom Woollen Mills), which I recently dyed with indigo I grew in my garden. The alpaca casually drapes between the indigo-dyed wool borders.

Materials
• Yarn:
o In the sample: I used about 160metres/ 175 yards of bulky yarn:

• Yarn:
o In the sample: I used about 160metres/ 175 yards of bulky yarn:
 1 full skein of Perimeter Alpaca Lopi-style yarn (80% Alpaca, 20% Merino; 128gm/4.5oz to 96m/105yds), and
 60m/66yds (52 gms/1.8oz) of Seine River Shepherds yarn (100% Canadian Wool; 112gm/4oz to 129m/141yds)
o Other yarn options: There are many options available. As it is an accessory rather than a fitted garment, there is a bit of flexibility when selecting fibre to complete this project. Any yarn of a comparable weight and tension could work well with this pattern. You could use handspun yarn or fibre from your local fibre festivals of a comparable weight, and some other options include Cascade Ecological Wool, or Lion Brand Wool Ease. You can also substitute colours and even knit the entire cowl in one colour, rather than have the borders in a different colour.
• Tapestry needle, scissors
• Stitch marker
• 8mm (US 11) 40”circular needles (or needles that will match your yarn choice)

Sizing
The cowl measures about 16cm (6 inches) tall by 135cm (53 inches) around. It is intended to be worn wrapped around the neck twice (maybe one more round on a pink flamingo) . One size fits most.

Tension
10cm/4in = 9 stitches after blocking. As this is an accessory rather than a fitted garment, tension can be rather flexible.

Pattern Notes
This cowl is knit in the round. This cowl begins with a 3x3 rib (knit 3, purl 3) made in blue. In the brown section, the 3x3 rib begins to swirl like a candy cane as one extra stitch is added to the round. The rest of the brown section is knit in knit 3, purl 3, and this swirling of ribbing is maintain. Once the brown yarn has been used up, the stitch count is adjusted to that a 3x3 rib in the blue yarn completes the cowl.

Acknowledgements
A huge thank-you to Elizabeth Wooster (Rav: craftycdn) for their creativity in offering a name for this pattern. Thanks so much, Elizabeth!