1-Skein Cable Cowl Amendment- Free Pattern Friday

Today we are going to feature a free pattern that is a new addition to the Estelle Pad Pattern collection, and we chose this pattern to share with you today for two reasons.

Reason 1- It’s a really great pattern! We love it! And we are quite certain that you will also love it. It’s quick, it’s simple, but there is also some room to learn a new technique or two, depending on your knitting skill set. (But isn’t that always the case?)

Reason 2- A possible amendment to the pattern has been brought to our attention, so we thought that we would also bring it to yours.

But first things first- the pattern! The pattern is called 1-Skein Cable Cowl by the talented Helen Firing, and uses only one skein (as the name of the pattern suggests) of a new yarn from Estelle- Big Alpaca Bulky. This yarn is soft, this yarn is chunky, and this yarn is available in yarn shops across the country, making it the PERFECT addition to your stash. Not to mention, this cowl also makes the PERFECT addition to your WIP (Works In Progress) pile!

Estelle Big Alpaca Bulky

In addition to one skein of Big Alpaca Bulky, this pattern also calls for the use of 12mm/40cm circular needles, which is where the pattern amendment comes in.

It has been brought to our attention that unfortunately, these needles are not the easiest to come by. So we have come up with two suggestions for you, and hopefully they will help you out some.

If finding those elusive 12mm/40cm needles is making you crazy (or discouraging you from knitting this cowl!), then worry not, because you can always use double pointed needles! While the thought of knitting with four (and sometimes five!) needles at a time is enough to scare many knitters away from a project entirely- don’t let it! It is really not as difficult as it sounds. If you have never used this technique before, this cowl might just be the perfect first project to test the ‘double-pointed-needles water’ with. It’s chunky, it’s quick, and you will feel such a sense of accomplishment when you cast off your first project using double pointed needles.

For a great YouTube video on how this technique is achieved, be sure to check out Very Pink Knit’s tutorial by clicking on this link.  (As a sidenote, her videos are fantastic, so be sure to check out her YouTube channel in its entirety!)

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Estelle Big Alpaca Bulky

Another great option for knitting in the round is Magic Loop. This technique requires a circular needle, but one much longer than you would typically use when knitting a snug fitting cowl in the round.

In this case, the 1-Skein Cable Cowl calls for needles that are 40cm in length. However, should you choose to knit this project using the Magic Loop technique,  you would want to get your hands on some needles that are still 12mm, but that are at least 80cm in length.

The reason for this is that your stitches will be divided in half, and the excess cord will be pulled through your stitches at the halfway point. You will still be knitting in the round, and when you get to the end of the stitches, you will simply pull the cord through the other side, and carry on.

While it sounds incredibly tricky in writing, watching it on YouTube is a great way to make this technique ring clear in your mind.

Click here to see how Very Pink Knits shows us how to knit using the Magic Loop technique.

So, there you have it dear knitters! Not only do we have a free pattern for you, we also have some new techniques for you to explore!

We hope that you all enjoy your knitting- and your weekend!

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