Prime Cowl

Prime Cowl £6

Prime Cowl is worked in the round using three colours of DK yarn. It uses the stacked stitches technique, exemplified by Xandy Peters, where multiple increases or decreases stack up on top of each other whilst only working with one yarn at a time. 

Prime cowl develops the skill of working with these multiple increases and decreases, building the increases through prime numbers (1 st increasing to 5, then 7, 11 and 13). 

The pattern includes two options: one with a tabbed lower edge and one with a straight lower edge. The tabbed lower edge is my favourite and is easier to work! If you work the tabbed version you also have 13 tabs around the lower edge – another link to prime numbers!

Yarn Weight: DK

Yarn
Three colours of DK yarn. I used Midwinter Yarns “Black and Blue DK” (100% Bluefaced Leicester Wool, 210m per 100g) for my samples. This yarn is no longer available. Treat yarn quantities given below as minimum requirements.

Quantities used for Tabbed Version: Yarn A (purple): 65m, Yarn B (blue): 70m, Yarn C (green): 53m

Quantities used for Straight-edged Version: Yarn A (purple): 72m, Yarn B (green): 87m, Yarn C (blue): 53m

Needles
4mm circular needles, 60cm long
5mm needle for cast off only

Notions
1 stitch marker
Tapestry needle

Sizing
Tabbed Version: 58cm circumference x 20cm height (to end of tabs)

Straight-edged Version: 58cm circumference x 22cm height

Tension
10cm = 18 sts x 40 rnds over garter stitch on 4mm needles after blocking

Notes

  1. This cowl is worked with the wrong side (WS) of the fabric facing you throughout as the increases and decreases always happen on WS rows when worked flat.
  2. The circumference of the cowl can be easily adjusted by adding or removing sts to the cast-on in multiples of four. This will affect the quantity of yarn needed for each colour.
  3. Both versions of the cowl begin the same way up to and including Rnd 39.
  4. ‘Sb3, K3tog tbl’ can more easily be worked by leaving all 3 sts on RN and simply inserting LN into the front of the 3 sts to knit them tog tbl. Using this approach means if your tension is tight you can, alternatively, insert LN into the front of first 2 sts on RN and work K2tog tbl, then pass next st on RN over st just worked. This creates exactly the same decrease as working K3tog tbl. If tension is very tight, leave all 3 sts on RN, insert LN into first st on RN and work K1 tbl, then pass each of the next 2 sts on RN over st just worked one at a time.
  5. When changing yarns ensure to leave cut end of yarn towards you (on WS of fabric).
  6. When 2 colours are attached at the same time the rnd will indicate which colour yarn to use.