Scrappy Split Stitch Cowl

Do you remember the fun knitting that I did back at the end of summer with my Swap Yarn? Those mitts were worked with two strands of yarn held at the same time and they got my creative juices flowing. I played around with some ideas but then (as I tend to do) got distracted by other things. Luckily one of the ideas was good enough that it kept nagging at me.

It kept nagging and then I stumbled across these incredibly cute 25 g balls of British Blue Wool from Erika Knight and something clicked. The idea was formed and I was off. This yarn is spun from Bluefaced Leicester or BFL which is quite possibly my favorite wool ever. It has a soft hand like merino but has a luster to it that makes you think it might have some silk or something. It takes color in a way that is deep and rich and makes me happily satisfied.

I chose 4 colors (buying two balls of one of them) and then got to knitting. Meet the Scrappy Split Stitch Cowl.

The Scrappy Split Stitch Cowl was born.

Because the yarn is DK the finished piece does not look heavy, there is fine detail in the stitch work. But it is worked on size 11 needles with the yarn held double so it knits up as quick as one of those super bulky cowls. Honestly! Once I got everything figured out (and there was some frogging mind you) I sat down one morning, cast on, and was finished by the end of the day.

I had to get out and shoot in the snow.

Don’t get me wrong. Bulky cowls can be awesome but sometimes you don’t want that bulky look. I managed to get some modeled shots and would you believe that I was lucky enough to have a wee bit of a snow. I rushed out with my live-in model and tried to get some fun snow shots. My model is used to living in Florida so she didn’t manage to look particularly pleased with being in the snow – but I think the shots are fun!

It was pretty darn cold, but it warmed up quickly. This is Atlanta after all.

As usual this pattern went through a test knitting process and something unusual happened. For several of the testers as soon as they finished their first cowl they decided they wanted to knit another one! I consider that to be a testament to how fun and fast this pattern works up. And it’s flexibility. You can substitute yarn and use scraps that you have laying around. You don’t need much of each color and you could definitely use more (or less) colors than I have called for.

I would love to see it in a solid and a gradient, or even two contrasting gradients. If you like long cowls you simply cast on more stitches – no need to even figure out a stitch repeat. Want it taller or shorter? Work more or fewer rows! If you are at all worried that the stitch is too complicated don’t be. I have included step by step instructions with photographs. Not because it is difficult to work, but because it is difficult to explain. If I could sit down with each of you and show you how to work the stitch it would take about a minute, tops, for you to get it. But words are more clumsy so I broke everything down to wee bits.

Another view of the cowl. Do you like my new mannequin?

So, what do you think? Do you have some yarn laying around begging to be this cowl? Are your creative juices flowing? I hope so.