I live in a very warm climate right now, so the hat and mitts just won’t get much use. I’m planning to use the chart for the hat to make a cowl.

Adapted from the Ornas pattern by Renée Rico

The cowl is knit top down. My suggestion is to do the top garter section in the darker color, and end with the lighter color also in garter. Of course, you can make them match if you like. I think there’s plenty of yarn either way.

Sizes: 24”/28”/32”

Needles:
Circular needles 24” length, two sizes
I used Size 3 for the garter section, size 4 for the stranded knitting. Most people would go up 2 needle sizes, but of course it is all about gauge. See what I came up with next.

Gauge: 23 sts = 4 inches (blocked!), 6.5 rows = 1 inch

Instructions:

CO 108/120/132 sts using darker color (I used long-tail cast-on). Join in round without twisting. Work in garter stitch (purl one round, knit one round) for 4 rounds. On final purl round, increase as follows: * P3, m1p * repeat to end of round. 144/160/176 stitches.

Now follow the hat chart in the Ornas pattern. Things to note: you can start at either round 1 or 6. Starting at Round 1 will give a lovely half-moon shape coming out of the garter stitch. I used the lighter color as the dominant one in the stranded section.

Switch to larger needles.

Working rounds 1-41 (with my suggestion below for ignoring the crown decreases), you’ll probably end up with a cowl that is about 7 inches deep if you match the garter ends. If you’d like a deeper one, add the suggested repeats using rounds 6-15 (which will add about 1 ½ “ in depth for each repeat).

Beginning with round 30, ignore all the decreases and knit in light color any stitches marked as “no stitch.” Where you see the “/” symbol beginning on round 35, work a dark colored stitch. Work chart through round 41, except for the final 5 stitches.

On next round, knit one round in light color, which will be used for the rest of the cowl. On next round, * k2, k2tog * repeat to end of round. Knit remaining rounds in garter (purl one round, knit one round) for as long as you wish.

Bind-off loosely. Wet block. Weave in ends.