Back It Up Reversible COWL Free Knitting Pattern

The amazing Afifa Sayeed is back as a guest designer to bring us all the winter cozy you could ever need with this Back It Up Reversible COWL Free Knitting Pattern. And there’s matching a hat too!

The Back It Up Reversible COWL Free Knitting Pattern will work up fast with one side being straight stockinette and give you some playful stitches with the lace side!

The genius of the designs is that you never see past the lace to the other side. You truly get winter lace and cozy knit stitches without either bumping over to the other side.

A great HUGE thank you to Knit Picks for providing yarn support for this collaboration. Afifa used Simply Wool Twist - 1 skein (Shown in Wallace) for the straight knit side of the cowl and it is perfect to show off the yarn itself.

For the Wintry Lace Wonderland Afifa chose Wool of the Andes - 1 skein (shown in Cloud) and Cloud indeed is what it is.

Both the Back It Up Reversible COWL Free Knitting Pattern and the Hat Pattern use worsted weight yarn. But with the magic of the lace on one side, it never feels heavy or even double knitted.

Skill Level: Advanced Beginner / Intermediate

MATERIALS NEEDED:
C1: Wool of the Andes - 1 skein (shown in Cloud)
C2: Simply Wool Twist - 1 skein (Shown in Wallace)
US size US8/5mm 32” (or longer circulars to work in magic loop)
US H/ 8 5 mm crochet hook
Place markers
Tapestry needle to weave ends
Stitch holder
Fasteners or safety pins
Scrap Yarn (for provisional cast on)

Stitches Used / Abbreviations:
K – knit
P – purl
BO – Bind Off
PCO – Provision Cast On
st(s)- stitch (es)
k2tog – knit 2together
yo2x – yarn over 2 times
pm - place marker

Gauge: 4” (10 cm) sq = 20 sts x 24 rows in stockinette stitch

BLOCKED FINISHED SIZE:
Circumference 25” (63.5 cm) / 9.5” (24 cm) height

PCO - Provisional cast-on:

Using scrap yarn, make a slip knot on the crochet hook. Begin with the yarn to the back of the knitting needle.

Wrap the yarn around the crochet hook and pull through the slip stitch. The yarn is now in the front of the knitting needle.

Bring the yarn over the tip of the needle so it is to the back of the needle. Repeat the last step until the desired number of stitches are cast on plus 4.

Cut the waste yarn, and pull the tail end through the last loop on the crochet hook. Pop the extra 4 stitches off the needle. These will be a marker for which end to unravel the cast-on from when you are ready to work your live stitches.

PCO 90 stitches on US 8/5mm needles using scrap yarn.
Join C1, k 1 row.
Pm, join to work in the round.

TRIM:
K1, p1 10 Rounds.

COWL BODY:
Round 1: (k1, yo2x, k2tog), to marker.

Round 2: * k, knitting each yo 1x and dropping 2nd yo off needle.

Round 3: (k2tog, yo2x, k1) to end of row.

Round 4: Repeat Round 2

Repeat Rounds 1-4 9 more times (10x total).

TRIM:
K1, p1 for 10 Rounds. Cut C1.

Join C2.

P 1 Round.

TRIM:
K1, p1 for 10 Rounds.

COWL BODY 2:
K 46 Rounds.

TRIM:
K1, p1 for 10 Rounds

ASSEMBLY / FINISHING
Place PCO stitches on spare needles.
Turn contrast color into the C1 cowl (wrong sides together).
Using Kichener Stitch, graft live stitches from C2 to PCO stitches from C1.

Bring C2 from back, using a tapestry needle, go through the first stitch on the front needle as if to purl. This means that you should place the needle through the back of the stitch, approaching from the right.

Then first stitch on the back needle as if to purl, leaving both stitches on the needles.

  1. Go through the first stitch on front needle as if to knit and slip it off the needle. This means that you should place the needle through the front of the stitch, approaching from the left.

  2. Then go through the second stitch as if to purl and leave it on.

  3. Go through the first stitch on the back needle as if to knit and slip it off the needle.

  4. Then go through the second stitch as if to purl and leave it on.

Repeat steps 1-4 four until no stitches remain.