DIY Chunky Knit Cowl- A Step by Step Guide
I finished my airplane-ride-to-Charlotte knitting project! As in I DIDN’T just throw the half/completed project on a shelf to finish at a later date!
Done.
Ready to wear.
Except, it is 104° outside.
I am a slow knitter, so it’s just as well. If I’d waited until it actually was cold to start, who know’s if I’d finish it before Spring! On that note, ANYONE who wants to give handmade gifts over the holidays should probably start now (if you haven’t already). That way you wont get crazy overwhelmed come December!
This is a nice, easy to remember pattern… so it’s a great project for travel! Knitting needles are OK to carry on to a plane, and the supplies are not too cumbersome. I love the look of chunky knitting, which is great because it make the project finish up fast!
If you’re on Ravelry, you can find the project here: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/inmylife99/diy-chunky-cowl
Here is the basic pattern:
Cast on 40 stitches
Knit 4 rows in stockinette stitch.
Increase 1 stitch. Knit 4 rows in stockinette stitch
Repeat ** until you have 50 stitches on your needle.
Bind Off.
Sew seam.
I’ve broken it down here (with YouTube tutorials) for knitters like me that need to be reminded of the basics from time to time!
The Supplies
2 skeins* of Super Bulky Yarn (Pictured is Lion Brand Hometown USA in Dallas Grey)
Size 13 Knitting Needles
Large Tapestry Needle **
*Depending on your gauge, maybe you could complete this project with 1 skien.
I needed yarn from a second for the last few rows, to have enough yarn to stitch the seam, and to weave in the ends.
** I did not have a needle big enough for the bulky yarn, so I used a crochet hook to weave the seam together. It worked fine, but probably took 3x longer than if I’d just used a needle.
Cast on 40 stitches
I like the Long-Tail Cast-On method. It reminds me of a sling-shot.
Knit 4 rows in stockinette stitch.
This means knit the 1st row, pearl the 2nd row, knit the third row, pearl the 4th row.
Increase 1 stitch. Knit 4 rows in stockinette stitch
You are adding 1 stitch to the beginning of the 5th row. This is where a YouTube demonstration comes in handy (starts at 25second mark).
Then just continue knitting 4 rows of stockinette.
Repeat ** until you have 50 stitches on your needle.
You will increase again at the start of the 9th, 13, 17, 21… etc row and continue knitting in stockinette.
Stop when you hit 50 stitches on your needle (aka the end of the 40th row).
Bind Off.
This is how you get your work off your needles.
This bound off edge will end up being the bottom of your cowl.
Stockinette knits naturally want to roll, so if the edge doesn’t look perfect, no one will know!
Sew seam.
The edges you are sewing together are the sides that were never on the needles (aka NOT the cast on/bind off edges).
Here, a mattress stitch looks great! It’s practically invisible from the front.
This is where a tapestry needle with a big eye would come in handy!
Let me know if you’ve had any success with other Chunky Knit patterns! I’ll be sure to add them to my Pinterest board!
