New Pattern: Mount Bachelor Cowl — sloane rosenthal knits

I am so excited to introduce you to the Mount Bachelor Cowl! Snuggly, warm, and lightning fast to work up in your softest, gentlest bulky-weight yarn, the Mt. Bachelor cowl is pure luxury. Worked in an open, airy brioche rib on large needles, the cowl provides just the right amount of warmth for cool, transition-season nights, while the texture provides visual interest and sophistication. This cowl is a wonderful introduction to the meditative magic of the brioche stitch if you’ve never tried it, or a quick but engaging gift knit (maybe even for yourself!) if you’re an old pro. Use a yarn with loft and drape to give this cowl movement and shape, and be sure to wet block your finished knit — that’s when the real magic happens!

I originally knit the sample for this one on the flight to Rhinebeck from SFO, so I can attest to its quick-knitting credentials. It's kept me warm on many a cold day since then, but it's also a frequent choice for the perpetually cool nights we have around here.

Get your free copy of Mount Bachelor here, or check out more photos and other knitters' projects on Ravelry.

Pattern Notes

Size

One Size. Finished dimensions (unstretched): approximately 8.5”/ 22 cm wide by 28” / 71 cm long.

Yarn

Plucky Knitter Snug (70% Merino wool, 20% cashmere, 10% Royal Alpaca; 110 yards / 101 meters per 120 grams), 1 skein, or approximately 110 yards of “chunky” or bulky weight yarn. Sample knit in “Technicolor Teal.” Note on yarn substitution: you’re looking for a yarn with two key properties: some loft and lightness (for drape, and to keep it from getting too heavy), and a yarn that will block out well (which allows the brioche stitch to open, and gives it its characteristic three-dimensionality). This is not a great choice for a heavy single-ply yarn, for example.

Gauge

10 sts and 20 rows per 4” / 10 cm in brioche stitch (unstretched, after blocking).

Needles

Straight or circular needles in size US 11 / 8 mm, or size needed to obtain gauge.

Notions

Tapestry needle; waste yarn (optional).

Skills Required

Brioche stitch (see “Special Techniques”); provisional cast-on (optional); three-needle bind-off (optional, see “Special Techniques”).