Free Knitting Pattern for a Festive Cowl

Knit a Festive Cowl to Wear or Give Away: Free Knitting Pattern

Beginner Skill Level 

festive knitted cowl

This is an easy knit cowl that even a beginner can knock up in an evening. If you know how to cast on and cast off and how to knit a plain knit stitch you can do this one easily. If you are in the US that is bind on and bind off!

It doesn't show up in the photo but this yarn had a glitter woven into it - just right for this time of year.

The trick of this cowl pattern is that although you are using only garter stitch - you can achieve this lacy look but using a huge knitting needle to knit every 4th row - the huge stitch gives your work that loose lacy look.

Neat huh?

You can use any yarn with appropriate needles and gauge is not important.

Different ways to wear a cowl

The thing I love about cowls is how many different ways there are to wear one - you can even go for the evil Emperor from Star Wars look if you are brave enough  -

What you need to knit this cowl

You need two balls of yarn - the one used here is King Cole Glitz Chunky - shade 234. Each ball here was 100g or approximately 130 meters.

But you could use any yarn you like, just check which size of needles you would normally need for that particular yarn. 

1 pair of size 6mm knitting needles

1 size 15 mm knitting needle or larger if you want a looser knit

1 yarn needle for finishing.

How to make this Festive Cowl

With your size 6mm knitting needles cast on 56 stitches

knitting into the back loop

Your 4 row pattern = 

1st row = Slip first stitch onto right-hand needle without knitting , knit to last stitch, knit into the back loop of the last stitch to give a tighter finish. 

2nd Row = as above

3rd row = as above

4th row = Switch to large knitting needle. Slip first stitch, knit to last stitch, knit into back loop of last stitch. You will see these big stitches don't give  you a neat edge but will give your work a knotted appearance at the end. 

Swap back to the smaller needle for the next row in your series.

knitting with a huge needle

Using the large needle give this lacy look 

using a huge knitting needle

Knitting 3 rows with the smaller needles give your pattern a foundation for the lacy bit. You'll notice the knitting is much slacker than when you knitted your neck warmer but go with it - it will look great. 

Continue the pattern until it measure approximately 26 inches ending with a row using the huge needle. You will need to join in your second ball of yarn. 

Cast off/Bind off - remember that? Knit two stitches onto your right hand needle, pass the first stitch over the second then knit another stitch and repeat until the last stitch, pull the loop through the last stitch so it doesn't unravel 

Pick which side you want to be the wrong side, that is the side that isn't shown, fold in tow and stitch together. This time sew the two inner stitches to get a smoother finish.

sew the two inner stitches

Turn it the right way round and you are finished ... 

finished edges

This is the edging when you knit the cowl which is fine. I actually didn't like it much so I finished mine off with a crochet edging on one edge. 

knitted cowl with crochet edging

I'm just learning to crochet and I am using US terms but here is what I did.

Single crochet around one edge for two rounds.

Next round in every second stitch I put (a single crochet, a half double crochet and a single crochet in the same stitch, chain one, skip one) and repeat. 

I hope you have fun with this. Of course you can experiment with different yarns and get many different looks.