THE LIFE BEHIND IT ALL
THE LIFE BEHIND IT ALL
SNICKERDOODLE KNITS
Creativity, Clarity + Confidence in Knitting
Cozy Winters Cowl
Cozy and lightweight, the Cozy Winters Cowl is a simple to knit and simple to wear cowl. It features a faded texture that is most dense at the bottom of the cowl. The pattern includes four size options with varying lengths and circumferences.
The techniques used in this pattern are primarily knits and purls in the round, but the cowl is finished with an I-cord bind off. This is a great project for a newer knitter wanting to practice working in the round and interested in learning a new bind off technique. More information on techniques can be found here.
Yarn requirements differ based on size but range from one to two 100-gram skeins of DK weight. For more information on yarn requirements, click here.
It was an ordinary Tuesday morning. You plopped down in your office chair at approximately 7:59 am after an uneventful commute to work. Fall weather in Montana can be a bit unpredictable, but today the sun is shining bright, just a handful of large puffy clouds spot the deep blue sky, and it looks like it’ll be a calm day. That is, until you hear a howl of wind as you look at the clock: 9:01 am. Outside, the wind is swirling light flakes of snow. It’s only been 1 hour and 2 minutes, and the weather has changed so drastically; what’s the rest of the day going to bring? It could turn into a full-blown blizzard, or it might just sputter out a few flakes, and the bright blue sky will return again; it’s hard to say, because it’s already winter in Montana.
Cozy Winters was inspired by winter weather in Montana: one moment it’s heavily snowing, and the next the sky is clear. The cowl includes seven sections representing the varying snow levels: Whiteout, Blizzard, Snowstorm, Snow, Flurries, Snowflakes, and Clear Skies (from bottom to top). This creates a faded texture that provides interest to the design and the knitting. Once the cowl is complete, you can see the snow falling from the sky (at the top of the cowl) and accumulating on the ground (at the bottom of the cowl). Cozy Winters Cowl is one of five knitting patterns in the "My Forever Home" Collection.
It’s time to get dressed for the day. Ugh. Whether you’re meeting with a new client for work or just having brunch with a good friend, you can never decide what to wear. You don’t want to wear anything too fiddly: you just want something that looks nice and you can throw on without having to worry about how you look all day. There’s the pretty lace shawl in your closet, but it always gets turns cadywampus during the day; or there’s the long tubular cowl, but it just feels bulky and never seems to lay right. But then you spy it out of the corner of your eye: your Cozy Winters Cowl. Perfect, decision made!
The Cozy Winters Cowl is one of your favorite accessories to wear because it is lightweight but cozy, simple to style, and if you decide to take it off half-way through the day, it isn’t going to mess up your hair. The tapered design of the cowl, with a larger bottom than top, helps the cowl lay nicely and prevents it from feeling like a big ball of yarn piled up around your neck. The I-cord bind off gives it such a polished look that, even though the knit is quite simplistic, you’re not worried about wearing the cowl for business events.
You’re packing for a much-needed vacation. You’re in serious need of some time where you can take a deep breathe and let go of the stress and anxiety that’s progressively built over the past weeks and months. You’re taking time off from work because you know you need it for your well-being, and you’re not taking this vacation lightly. It will be filled with relaxing… and more relaxing. Sure, the kids will be around, and they’ll have their demands, but you know they play well together, especially when they’re in a new environment and exploring all the things. The only thing you have left to organize is which knitting project(s) you will take with you.
You don’t want a sweater – it just feels overwhelming right now. Nothing that requires a lot of concentration. No cables, no colorwork, definitely no brioche. But you want something with a little interest, because your mind will start to wander back to work if you’re knitting stockinette or garter.
Suddenly you remember the cowl you knit as a Christmas gift last year: it was a simplistic knit that required minimal concentration. An easy, meditative piece that only required the rhythm of counting. It would be easy to simultaneously watch the kids play, relax, and get some knitting time in. You pack the Cozy Winters Cowl pattern with three yarn options: one for yourself and then two others that can be gifts for next Christmas. It’ll make great travel knitting and beach knitting.
The techniques used in this design, with exception to the bind off, are very simple. If you are comfortable with the knit stitch, this project will give you experience with knitting in the round and purling. You will learn a new bind off technique: the I-cord bind off with the written instructions and linked video tutorial provided in the pattern.
All of my patterns include clear, step-by-step (written and charted) instructions with linked video technique tutorials that walk you through the pattern with confidence and joy. I am also available for pattern support if you have questions.
Sizing
Child (Small Adult, Medium Adult, Large Adult)
Bottom Circumference: 23 (26, 29.5, 32) in / 58 (65.5, 73.5, 80) cm
Top Circumference: 20 (22, 24, 26) in / 50 (55, 60, 65) cm
Length: 7 (9.5, 11.5, 14) in / 17.5 (23.5, 29, 35) cm
Yarn
130 (185, 250, 320) yds / 120 (170, 230, 290) m; 60 (80, 110, 140) grams DK weight yarn
Designed using Polka Dot Sheep Stumptown DK in Night King. Get color & yarn recommendations here.
Tools
3.5 mm (US size 4) – or size needed to obtain gauge – circular or double-pointed needles, long enough to hold the cowl circumference
Darning needle
