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.
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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
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).
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| 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.
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| 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
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| 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.
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| 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.
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 5
Pick up and knit 16 stitches
With a third needle pick up 7 stitches from the CO of square 1 of the very first layer.
Row 1: sl1, k14 (newly CO stitch), k1 (last stitch of square 1 of layer below), turn
Row 2: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with first stitch picked up of side of square 1 of layer 1)
Row 3: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 1 of layer below)
Row 4: sl1, k 14, k2tog-join (with next stitch of square 1 of layer 1)
Repeat rows 3 and 4 seven (7) more times.
Row 18: BO all stitches
Weave in ends and block gently.
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