2.10.2016

lichen cowl


I was recently given the fun opportunity to try out a skein of Big Squeeze by Ancient Arts Yarn, a bulky weight 3-ply superwash merino whose name fits it to a t: squishy soft and squeezable from skein to fabric. The yarn is available in many beautiful hand-dyed colors. It also held up extremely well to my repeated swatching and frogging as I was obsessed with finding the perfect stitch pattern to highlight this beautiful Inuit Art colorway. After settling on the wild oats pattern, it was just a matter of time before I was sporting my new cowl. Isn't knitting with bulky yarn super fast and fun? The colors in this skein totally reflect the island that I call home, especially in wintertime. Moody greys & blues of the Chesapeake Bay interplay with the greens, browns, golds & purples of the wetland plants & flowers. I will be joyfully wearing this cowl on my winter hikes on the cross island trail.


To knit your own lichen cowl, you will need:

*1 skein of Big Squeeze
*16 inch circular needle size 10.5 (6.5mm) or size required to obtain gauge
*Cable needle
*Gauge in stockinette stitch = 4 stitches per inch
*Finished dimensions = 20 inch circumference x 8.5 inches tall

3x1 ribbing: *knit 3, purl 1*

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Wild Oats pattern stitch: (multiple of 4 stitches)
rounds 1 & 2: *k2, slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in back, k1*
round 3: *slip 2 stitches onto cable needle & hold in back, k1, k2 from cable needle, k1*
round 4: knit to end of round, remove marker, knit 1 stitch, replace marker.
rounds 5 & 6: *k1, slip 1 stitch purlwise with yarn in back, k2*
round 7: *k1, slip 1 stitch onto cable needle & hold in front, k2, k1 from cable needle*
round 8: knit to 1 stitch before end of round, slip stitch purlwise to right needle, remove marker, move slipped stitch back to left needle, replace marker.

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Cast on 80 stitches, place marker, join to work in the round.

Knit 3x1 ribbing for a total of 3/4 inch from cast on (4 rounds).

Switch to Wild Oats pattern stitch and knit a total of 5 pattern repeats. Then knit rounds 1 to 3 of Wild Oats pattern stitch, ending after round 3.

Knit 3x1 ribbing for a total of 3 rounds.

Bind off in 3x1 ribbing. Wear with a smile :)

8 comments:

  1. Ooh, I wanna steal your new cowl! I like the colors and how it's smooshy lookin'. Thank you so much for sharing about Tet; I totally wanna come over and celebrate with you. And thank you for your well wishes for E. He's in a better place today than last night for sure.

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  2. You are the queen of cowls lately. I must get more of the queue on the needles myself. But first, must finish sweater and blanket!

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  3. Pretty texture, perfect for that colorway and yarn! You're wearing that Aida aren't ya, ha!

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  4. That pattern works perfect with the yarn, nice job! I love how the skein looks all knit up, it's always a bit of an adventure is the yarn is a bit variegated, isn't it?

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  5. Love the stitch pattern. It's definitely not easy to find the perfect stitch pattern for the variegated yarn! Thank you so much for sharing!

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  6. I'm knitting with Big Squeeze at the moment, too! I love your choice of the Inuit Art colourway, it's stunning, especially in your beautiful cowl design!

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  7. Cozy and fun! That texture really makes this colorway amazing!!

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  8. Lovely, great stitch pattern for that yarn. Thanks for sharing!!

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I would ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ to hear from you!