Saturday, November 16, 2013

Zigzag Cowl

Zigzag Cowl

Okay, last year I knit my mother a cowl out of a different color of this same yarn, and I was very impressed by its airy texture and attractive folding. So when I saw another color, especially one with such nice earth tones, I had to get it and try again. This particular cowl is really dang wide (roughly 15" - which makes it layer so nicely), and this variegated yarn suits it perfectly, creating delicate and even stripes. I chose to knit it on the shorter side so that it would sit close to the neck and keep a person warm, but with a few more inches of length it would suit warmer temperatures as well. And it's just so pretty!

The pattern
Yarn: Berroco Comfort Sock (50% Super Fine Nylon, 50% Super Fine Acrylic; 447 yards [412 meters]/100 grams); #1814 Dunedin - one skein

Needles: One set of straight needles in size 3 (fine, I knit it on a 16" circular needle, but that's because I can't stand straights. It's a back-and-forth knit either way)

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 30 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

Cast on 80 stitches (you can cast on less, as long as you cast on an even number, if you don't want your piece to be quite as wide. you will lose volume, however). And now, let's begin the pattern, which is Zigzag Lace Trellis from page 190 of Barbara G. Walker's A Treasury of Knitting Patterns.

Row 1 (wrong side) & all other odd rows: purl

Rows 2, 4, and 6: k1, * yo, k2tog; rep from *, end k1

Rows 8, 10, and 12: k1, * ssk, yo *, end k1

Continue in pattern until piece measures roughly 24 to 25 inches (or desired length), and you've just completed row 1 of the pattern. Bind off loosely and tuck in ends. Seam piece using a horizontal seam stitch, and tuck in those ends too. Congrats, you're done!




23 comments:

  1. I REALLY like this design. Any chance you'd like to knit it in another color for me?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello. Lovely patterns, you are very talented! And generous! Thank you so much for sharing. Is there any reason you did not knit this in the round? Just curious. I hate seaming. Actually I hate just about every form of finishing on knit projects. Wait, did I say just about? I lied. I hate every form of finishing! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! And I totally hate seaming too (and blocking, and... yeah, all of it). For this particular pattern, I liked the idea of the zigzags going around the neck instead of up and down. However, with the right stitch count, I don't see any reason that you couldn't knit it in the round instead, as long as you were careful about which side of your row marker your yo's belonged on.

      Delete
  3. Loved the pattern but although I am a fairly good knitter, I could not understand what "ssk" meant .I have never come across this before. .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello!

      The ssk is the slip, slip, knit, and it creates a left-leaning decrease. Here's a link to a YouTube video with instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGwcYW3GG3M

      Let me know if you have any other questions :)

      Delete
  4. I really regret that you do not have the add to allow me to folow you by email. Carmen in the Netherlands. I love your knitting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there! I thought I had that button - but you're right, it wasn't there! I just added it to the bottom of the page, however. So it's there now if you still want it :)

      Delete
  5. Hi, can I use dk yarn for this project? Thanks, Christine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Christine!

      Absolutely, this pattern is easy to adapt. :) Go ahead and use your dk with the larger of whichever needle sizes the package recommends (since the more open the pattern, the more it pops). Then, this pattern spreads a bit more than stockinette, so figure out about how wide you want it to be, and then cast on a few less stitches than you'd need for stockinette. As long as you use an even number of stitches, you should be good to go, and able to follow the pattern as written from there!

      Delete
  6. I subscribe to emails from All Free Knitting and so many times when I click on a project I love, it leads me to your blog! Thank you for sharing your fantastic patterns! I've now subscribed to your emails. Keep up the good work!! :)
    Laurie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Laurie, I'm very happy to hear it. :) And I will certainly try to keep 'em coming as long as I've got people looking for 'em!!!

      Delete
  7. Hello! I'm about 60 rows in and have somehow been steadily decreasing the stitches on my needles......can anyone tell me why this is happening and how to fix it? Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello there!

      First off, how steadily are you decreasing? My best guess is that you're missing either the first yo in rows 2, 4, & 6 or the last yo in rows 8, 10, & 12. As far as fixing it is concerned, that's a bit trickier, and probably depends on how many stitches you're missing! :) How many do you have left at this point?

      Delete
    2. I started off with 40 and am currently at 23 stitches O.O (thank you for replying, btw! Much appreciated ^_^)

      Delete
    3. Hmm... that is quite a few to lose! First off, does it seem like you might be missing those first/last yarn overs, or not so much? Also, how long is your piece at this point?

      Delete
    4. It doesn't seem like it, because I kept a close eye on those while I was knitting. The piece is about 12 inches long as of now

      Delete
    5. Shucks! Does the pattern look correct otherwise? I really can't think of any reason you'd be losing stitches besides simply missing yarn overs, and it seems like it would be important to figure out why they're disappearing before trying to fix it! Is there any way you could take a close-up photo of the piece and email it to me (ballstothewallsknits@gmail.com)?

      Delete
    6. Yep, looks perfect otherwise. I'll send you the photos now

      Delete

  8. Ll
    Love your patterns
    This is a masterpiece
    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello! I'm delighted that you like it. I thought it turned out pretty nicely too. :)

      Delete
  9. I just wanted to say also - I'm always soooo pleased when a link leads to you! An easy, well-explained pattern and NO RAVELRY PDF! Thank you sooo much for the beautiful patterns you post and for not taking us to Ravelry! I don't have a printer and those things (PDF's) are a pain!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! Glad to hear you enjoy my site! And I agree about the PDFs - I like to think I have the best of both worlds since people who do like them can make them with my printfriendly function too!!!

      Delete