Looking to use up some colorful scraps? This cowl uses a small amount of 5 Contrast Colors (CC) and one Main Color (MC). I paired Baby Ull’s black with the Cheshire Cat colors since I didn’t have any Cheshire Cat in Black and Baby Ull is comparable in weight, texture and fiber.

This is a relatively simple garter stitch project with some interesting geometry - you start by making a narrow color block strip of the 5 CC and then you pick up and knit outwards from each side of the strip. It’s a great next project for beginners who want to learn a couple of new tricks.

The pattern is well written and includes a diagram, plus it’s not terribly fussy (meaning the design doesn’t require exact stitch counts). Based on this pattern, I’d definitely do another one of her projects. :)

Tricks needed:

1. Basics - cast on, knit, bind off (for first color block set)
2. Picking up and knitting edge stitches
3. 3 needle bind off (for final bind off)
4. Blocking (light)

Working notes:
1. My row gauge is always tighter than specified (meaning, when my stitch gauge is right on, you can bet my row gauge will be more rows per inch than needed) so I always keep an eye on length. This is usually pretty simple to correct by just knitting extra rows. (Note that knitting extra rows is only simple when there is no shaping going on.) For the first (vertical) set of color blocksI added one garter ridge (2 rows) to a couple of the colors to make sure the height of this strip would accommodate the 100 stitches needed on the side. I also added rows to the sections that worked outward from this first set of color blocks, allowing for a more comfortable fit than if I held to the designer’s row count.

1. Final Bind Off - if you’re like me, you skim over instructions occasionally, missing some important details. I did that in this pattern, missing the k2tog portion of the bind off edges. It was a quick fix to do the k2tog on the first edge, so no biggie. This decrease at the back seam helps avoid bulkiness on the back, where it rests against your neck. I’m betting you can skip it if you want but you’ll want to do that intentionally and not because you skimmed the instructions…. :D

2. Blocking: I recommend at least a light blocking, especially if you’re concerned about the fit over your head/around your neck. Again, my tight row height means my garments are not long enough when I knit to the instructions, so I have to adjust for my gauge. (Note that my stitch gauge can be right on but, for some strange reason, my row gauge is tight…. mysteries of the knitting world.) I chose to use a blocking hack to stretch my cowl out a wee bit: instead of blocking on a horizontal surface, I chose to hang my finished project from a skirt/pant hanger (the kind with clips). Gravity made the cowl dry in a slightly stretched form without too much fuss on my part. End product looks great!