The woven cables of the Lathyrus Cowl echo the graceful twists of the sweet pea’s climbing vines. This pattern was dreamed up as a pairing for bouclé or other heavily textured yarns, but works just as well with smooth yarns (be sure to check your gauge!). Knit as a tube in a repetitive, calming pattern, it doesn’t include a single purl stitch – therapeutic crafting at its best.

Instructions are both charted and written out.

Size

• Narrow (Wide)
• Depth unstretched: 15 (20)cm (6 (8)in)
• Circumference unstretched: 56cm (22in), adjustable

Yarn

• Fingering weight bouclé or smooth DK to worsted weight, 242 (320)m (265 (350)yds)
• Sample yarn: Camellia Fiber Co. Bouclé Fingering (77% baby alpaca, 23% silk, fingering, 100g (31/2oz), 400m (437yds), in Clay Dust
• The pattern can be used with lightly variegated yarns

Needles

• 4mm (US 6) circular needles on a 40cm (16in) cable or on a longer cable for magic loop

Gauge

• 18 sts and 28 rows measures 10 x 10cm (4 x 4in) over stockinette (stocking) stitch, after blocking
• Swatch to determine the needle size that achieves the correct gauge

Construction

• Start the cowl by using a provisional cast on.
• The piece is knit as a tube in the round. The outside of the cowl features a cabled pattern that requires knitting just 3 (4) cables once every four rows. The inside is worked in smooth stockinette (stocking) stitch.
• Once the required length is reached, stitches from the provisional cast on are grafted with the stitches still on the needles for a seamless finish.