We've got a new version of our Alpaca Cowl, showcasing the extra light and slightly fluffy Rowan Alpaca Classic.
Rowan Alpaca Classic has a cotton core with blown alpaca fibres. Its so light that each 25g ball as 120m.
The original Alpaca Cowl uses shades 101, 102 and 108 in a striped colour and stitch pattern.👇
The cowl pattern combines my love of knitting cowls and for colour blocks and stripes. I also went on a train journey and this was the perfect project to travel with.
It starts with some moss stitch, before a big block of stocking stitch and a smaller block of stocking stitch, then some 1 row stripes before finishing with a rib.
I do love blocks of colours on a cowl as you can wear them in different ways with different colours facing out. Something we've also shown with our free Simple Cowl pattern and Joji Locatelli's 3 Colour Cowl.
Our new cowl is even more straightforward. It uses just knit stitch and has a simpler stripe pattern.
I used shades 104, 119 and 131.
For this version of the cowl you are working 2 row stripes through the middle section.
The Alpaca Cowl patterns are super versatile. You can knit it however you like:
- More or less stripes or no stripes.
- All in thick and thin stripes.
- All in moss stitch or no moss stitch.
- One colour or lots of colours.
You can of course use another DK yarn. The cowl will likely have a weightier feel as the Alpaca Classic is a super light yarn.
Why knit a cowl?
- It's a great beginners project -you just go round and round. And there's nothing taxing, so you can pick it up and put it down, or chat and drink without worrying about losing your place (just make sure you mark the start of your round).
- Because it's knitted in the round on circular needles there's no sewing up. Once you cast off, and sorted your ends, you can wear it.
- And because its knitted in the round it's a great travel project. No long needles to carry.
- The pattern is written in sections, so you feel you're making progress and you can look ahead to the next bit - which is always motivating.
- You can easily mix and match the sections to make the cowl your own.
You can download both cowl patterns for free here.
It's also available as a kit.
There are 5 different colour combos.
In each kit you'll get a copy of the Alpaca Scarf pattern and the Striped Asymmetrical Scarf. Both also use 3 colours of Alpaca Classic.
You can choose which accessory you want to make. Just add needles.
If you want to knit a Scarf you will need 4.5mm circular needle (at least 80cm long).
And if you want to knit a Cowl you will need 4mm x 40 or 60cm circular needle.
And if you buy a kit you get 10% off compared to buying the yarn separately.
You can't knit all three patterns from 3 balls but you can either knit one of the scarves with all 3 balls or knit one cowl.
If you knit the cowl you only use 50g/240m of yarn across the 3 colours so there's enough for a pair of striped fingerless mitts. You can find a free pattern here.
Alpaca Cowl
Buy a kit here.
Measures - approx. 30cm wide laid flat, 40cm tall.
Yarn - Rowan Alpaca Classic x 3 balls. You will have leftovers. You can use another DK yarn. To comfortably achieve the stripe patterns as shown for either cowl aim for at least 100m in each colour.
Needles - circular 4mm x 40 or 60cm for working in the round. Click for our circular needle range.
You will also need a stitch marker and wool needle
Techniques - cast on loosely; work in the round; knit; purl; cast off loosely.
