Knitting and so on: Patchwork Cowl

As the days get colder and greyer, knit yourself this lovely and colourful cowl. It is knitted flat and all in garter stitch. Due to its unique construction it brings out the best of your variegated yarn, e.g. your Zauberball or your Noro yarn. It is basically a variation of an entrelac pattern, but with blocks (squares and rectangles) of different sizes.

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Materials

about 200 grams of fingering weight yarn - preferably variegated yarn
3.25mm needles (straight or circulars)
a third needle (for three-needle BO)
a tapestry needle (to weave in ends)

Techniques and Stitches

Knitted Cast On: https://youtu.be/xocjmpglM1Q
Pick up and knit: https://youtu.be/oUPhLYkC0Fw , https://youtu.be/4XtGL8vJf-g or https://youtu.be/htAHtNnuE7Q
Join stitches at the edge - as in entrelac: k2tog of the following stitch with the next stich of the underlying rectangle/square. A similar method (but with an ssk instead of an k2tog) is shown in this YouTube video. I will call this stitch k2tog-join in the pattern.
Pick up stitches (without knitting them): https://youtu.be/7c5IzAE_hn8
Three Needle Bind Off: https://youtu.be/Ph93jWSzTa0

Construction

Figure X shows the general construction of the cowl. It is knitted flat and connected in the end (i.e. after the last layer or connected while knitting the last layer).

Figure 1: General Construction

Figure 2 shows how the layers make up the cowl. Odd-numbered layers consist of rectangles: 3 rectangles that are 8 stitches wide and 8 ridges high, and 2 rectangles that are 16 stitches wide and 16 ridges high. Even-numbered layers consist of rectangles: 3 that are 16 stitches wide and 8 ridges high, and 2 that are 8 stitches wide and 16 ridges high.

Rectangles/squares from one layer are knitted at a 90 degree angle to the knitting direction of the layer below.

Figure 2: Layers

In even numbered layers, rectangle 1 connects to square 5 of the layer below, rectangle 2 uses stitches picked up from square 5 of the layer below as base and is connected at the side to square of of the layer below, rectangle 3 is based on picked up stitches from the side of square 4 of the layer below and is connected to square 3 of the layer below ... and so on.

In layer 3 and the following odd numbered layers, square 1 is based on stitches from the side of rectangle 5 of the layer below and connected at the side to rectangle 4 of the layer below, and so on. The last square of an odd numbered layer is based on the stitches from rectangle 1 of the layer below and not connected while knitting it.

Instructions

Layer 1

Square 1

CO8 stitches with knitted CO

Rows 1-16: sl1, k7

Square 2

CO 16 stitches with knitted CO (your piece should look as shown in photo 1 of picture A)

Rows 1-32: sl1, k15

Square 3 (= Square 1)

CO8 stitches (with knitted CO)

Rows 1-16: sl1, k7

Square 4 (= Square 2)

CO 16 stitches with knitted CO

Rows 1-32: sl1, k15

(Now your piece should look similar to photo 1 of picture A)

Square 5 (= Square 1)

CO8 stitches (with knitted CO)

Rows 1-16: sl1, k7

Layer 2

Rectangle 1

CO15 with knitted CO (your piece should now look like photo 3 of picture A)

Row 1: sl1, k14 (newly CO stitch), k1 (last stitch of square 5 of layer below), turn

Row 2: sl1, k to end, turn

Row 3: sl1, k14, k2tog-join

Row 4: sl1, k to end, turn

Repeat rows 3 and 4 six (6) more times

Row 15: sl1 k14, k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Rectangle 2

Pick up and knit 8 stitches

Row 1: sl1, k7, turn

Row 2: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 4 of layer below), turn

Row 3: sl1, k7, turn

Repeat rows 2 and 3 fourteen (14) more times.

Row 31: sl1, k6, k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Rectangle 3

Pick up and knit 16 stitches

Row 1: sl1, k15, turn

Row 2: sl1, k14, k2tog-join, (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 3 of layer below), turn

Row 3: sl1, k15 turn

Repeat rows 2 and 3 six (6) more times

Row 15: sl1, k14, k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Rectangle 4

Pick up and knit 8 stitches

Row 1: sl1, k7, turn

Row 2: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 2 of layer below), turn

Row 3: sl1, k7, turn

Repeat rows 2 and 3 fourteen (14) more times.

Row 31: sl1, k6, k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Rectangle 5

Pick up and knit 16 stitches

Row 1: sl1, k15, turn

Row 2: sl1, k14, k2tog-join, (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 1 of layer below), turn

Row 3: sl1, k15 turn

Repeat rows 2 and 3 six more times

Row 15: sl1, k14, k2tog-join

Row 16: BO15 stitches

Picture A: Illustrations for Layers 1 and 2

Layer 3

Square 1

Row 1: pick up and knit 7 stitches from the side of the last rectangle (rectangle 5 of layer below), you have now 8 stitches on your needles

Row 2: sl1, k to end

Row 3: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (with next stitch from rectangle 4 of layer below)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 six (6) times

Row 15: sl1, k to end

Row 16: sl1, k6 k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Square 2

Row 1: pick up and knit 16 stitches from the side of rectangle 4 of the layer below, TURN

Row 2: sl1, k15, TURN

Row 3: sl1, k14, k2tog-join (with next stitch from rectangle 3 of layer below)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 fourteen (14) times

Row 31: sl1, k15, TURN

Row 32: sl1, k14, k2tog-join (with last stitch from rectangle 3 of layer below), DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Square 3

Row 1: pick up and knit 7 stitches from the side of the last rectangle (rectangle 3 of layer below), you have now 8 stitches on your needles

Row 2: sl1, k7, TURN

Row 3: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (with next stitch from rectangle 2 of layer below)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 six (6) times

Row 15: sl1, k to end

Row 16: sl1, k6 k2tog-join, DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Square 4

Row 1: pick up and knit 16 stitches from the side of rectangle 2 of the layer below, TURN

Row 2: sl1, k15, TURN

Row 3: sl1, k14, k2tog-join (with next stitch from rectangle 1 of layer below)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 fourteen (14) times

Row 31: sl1, k15, TURN

Row 32: sl1, k14, k2tog-join (with last stitch from rectangle 1 of layer below), DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Square 5

Row 1: pick up and knit 8 stitches from side of rectangle 1 of layer below

Rows 2-15: sl1, k7

DO NOT TURN but go on knitted CO of next layer

Repeat Layers 2 and 3 until the piece is roughly as long as you want it. Make sure to end with a layer 3.

Picture B: Illustrations for Last Layer

Last Layer

The last layer is basically the same as layer 2 with connections to the very first layer. This requires connecting the very first CO and connecting to the last knitted layer at the same time which can feel a bit awkward ... if you want to avoid this, you can just knit one more layer 2 and then sew the edges together.

However, here's how to do it without sewing.

Fold the scarf in a way so that the first layer faces the last layer with a gap about one layer wide (see photo 1 of picture B)

Rectangle 1

CO15 with knitted CO

With a third needle pick up 7 stitches from the CO of square 5 of the very first layer.

Rectangle 1 will not only be connected to the last layer but also to these stitches picked up from the first layer. See photo 2 in picture B.

Row 1: sl1, k14 (newly CO stitch), k1 (last stitch of square 5 of layer below), turn

Row 2: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with first stitch picked up of side of square 5 of layer 1)

Row 3: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 5 of layer below)

Row 4: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 5 of layer 1)

Repeat rows 3 and 4 six (6) more times

Now you have 18 stitches left (16 from this rectangle and 2 from the squares of other layers). Transfer these stitches to one needle (-> working needle)

With the third needle pick up 16 stitches from the side of square 4 of layer 1.

Your piece should now look like photo 3 of picture B

Row 15: do a three-needle BO of these stitches on these to needles - while doing a k2tog of the first and last stitch on the working needle. (See photo 4 of picture B)

Rectangle 2

Pick up and knit 8 stitches (from the side of square 4 of the layer below)

With the third needle pick up 16 stitches from the CO of square 4 of layer 1).

Rectangle 2 will be connected to square 4 of the layer below and square 4 of the first layer.

See photo 5 of picture B.

Row 1: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (with square 4 of layer 1)

Row 2: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 4 of layer below), turn

Row 3: sl1, k7, k2tog-join (with square 4 of layer 1)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 fourteen (14) more times.

Now you have 10 stitches left (8 from this rectangle and two from the adjoining squares). Transfer these to one needle

With third needle pick up 8 stitches from the side of square 3 of layer 1.

Row 31: do a three-needle BO of these stitches on these to needles - while doing a k2tog of the first and last stitch on the working needle.

Rectangle 3

Pick up and knit 16 stitches

With a third needle pick up 7 stitches from the CO of square 3 of the very first layer.

Row 1: sl1, k14 (newly CO stitch), k1 (last stitch of square 3 of layer below), turn

Row 2: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with first stitch picked up of side of square 3 of layer 1)

Row 3: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 3 of layer below)

Row 4: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 3 of layer 1)

Repeat rows 3 and 4 six (6) more times.

Now you have 18 stitches left (16 from this rectangle and 2 from the squares of other layers). Transfer these stitches to one needle (-> working needle)

With the third needle pick up 16 stitches from the side of square 2 of layer 1.

Row 15: do a three-needle BO of these stitches on these to needles - while doing a k2tog of the first and last stitch on the working needle.

Rectangle 4

Pick up and knit 8 stitches

With the third needle pick up 16 stitches from the CO of square 2 of layer 1). See photo 6 of picture B.

Rectangle 2 will be connected to square 2 of the layer below and square 2 of the first layer.

Row 1: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (with square 2 of layer 1)

Row 2: sl1, k6, k2tog-join (last stitch of the picked up stitches and next stitch of square 2 of layer below), turn

Row 3: sl1, k7, k2tog-join (with square 2 of layer 1)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 fourteen (14) more times.

Now you have 10 stitches left (8 from this rectangle and two from the adjoining squares). Transfer these to one needle

With third needle pick up 8 stitches from the side of square 1 of layer 1.