My First Colourwork Cowl is a great pattern when you want to practice with knitting colourwork in the round (stranded knitting).
For a more experienced knitter, working with different colours makes this a fun, fast and easy project.

This cowl you’ll want to make again and again, playing with different colours. Because it is a quick knit, and comes with different sizing options, it also makes the perfect knitted gift.

Notes:

• This pattern is for a colourwork cowl, using two colours, worked in the round on a circular needle.
• Pattern contains written instructions as well as a chart for the colourwork part.
• Read the chart from right to left on all rounds, working from bottom to top.
• The pattern uses the German Twisted Cast On and Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off for stretchy edges. Video tutorials are provided (in Dutch; use subtitles or auto dubbing in the language of your choice, if needed).
• New to knitting in the round and/or reading an English knitting pattern? Please check out my online knitting course ‘Cursus Col Rond Breien’, where I teach you step-by-step how to navigate through an English pattern and how to knit a cowl in the round.
• New to knitting colourwork in the round? Follow my colourwork masterclass (Dutch only): https://www.mirjammolenbeek.nl/cursussen/

Yarn:
Sample used:
- Sandnes Garn Peer Gynt, 8236 (main colour) and 1001 (contrasting colour), 50 grams (91 metres), 100% Norwegian wool.
100 (165, 230 metres) in the main colour.
15 (30, 45 metres) in the contrasting colour.
Or use any other DK weight yarn that gives the right gauge.

Make sure the contrast in colours is high enough to make the colourwork stand out. A little trick to check if your contrast is high enough: lay out your yarns and take a black and white picture. When you see different shades of grey: your contrast is high enough. If you are not seeing any difference between the yarns, the contrast is too low.

Needles:
3.5 and 4.5 mm (or size needed to obtain gauge), 40 cm circular needle.

Notions:

• 1 stitch marker (closed, matching your needle size)
• tapestry needle for weaving in your ends
• wool wash, blocking mats and T-pins for washing & blocking
• measuring tape

Gauge:
19 sts x 26 rounds in stockinette stitch (knit in the round on larger needle, washed & blocked) = 10 cm.

Sizes:
Pattern is written for: Child (Adult Medium, Adult Large).
The model is wearing a size Adult Medium.

Width (flat): 25½ (31½, 36) cm.
Circumference : 51 (63, 72) cm.
Length: 17 (23, 23) cm.
Measurements after washing and blocking.

You can widen or narrow the cowl easily by casting on more or fewer stitches (multiple of 8) and/or add/subtract length by knitting fewer or more rounds or adjusting the length of the rib sections.

Please note: if your gauge is off, or if you choose to knit fewer or more pattern repeats and/or rounds, you’ll need less/more yarn and the finished measurements will be different.