Button Cable Cowl

Free Cowl Knitting Pattern

Button cowls seem to be all the trend this year! Here is my version. The cowl features a generous width to provide good coverage. A single thick cable runs all the way around.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
-Knit & purl, cast on & bind off
-Increasing: make 1 (m1)
-Decreasing: k2tog (knit 2 together)
-Working cable with cable needle

Size: length – 29” (72 cm), width – 7 ½” (19 cm)

Materials: Lion Brand (affiliate link) Fishermen's Wool aran weight yarn (100% Wool ) 465 yd (425 m) / 227g, Color Natural – 0.5 skein.

Notions: 4 buttons, stitch markers, cable needle, sewing needle and thread of matching color.

Needles: US 7 (4.50 mm) straight needles OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE.

Gauge for stockinette st: 18 sts x 24 rows = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm)

Abbreviations:
st, sts - stitch, stitches
k - knit
p - purl
k2tog - knit 2 together
m1 - make 1 increase - make a backward loop over the right-hand needle and in the next row/round purl/knit as a regular stitch.
plm - place marker
slm - slip marker
rm - remove marker
RS - right side
WS - wrong side
Bb – button band
ch – chain
5/5 RC - slip next 5 stitches to cable needle and place at back of work, k5, then k5 from cable needle.
5/5 LC - slip next 5 stitches to cable needle and place at front of work, k5, then k5 from cable needle.

Pattern Notes:

Stockinette stitch in rows:
Row 1 (RS, and all RS rows): knit
Row 2 (WS and all WS rows): purl
Repeat 2 rows

Garter st:
All rows knit.

5/5 R Cable - slip next 5 stitches to cable needle and place at back of work, k5, then k5 from cable needle.

5/5 L Cable - slip next 5 stitches to cable needle and place at front of work, k5, then k5 from cable needle.

The selvedge/edge stitches here are worked as follows: slip the 1st and purl the last st in both RS and WS rows.


Short Overview of the Pattern:

The cowl is worked back and forth, on straight needles, a combination of wide cable bordered by garter stitch. There are 4 buttonholes at one end of the strip. 4 matching buttons are sewn on to the side of the cowl at the other end.

Cowl

Cast on 33 sts.

Row 1 (WS): k32, p1. 33 sts.

Row 2 (RS): sl1, k31, p1.

Row 3 (WS): sl1, k31, p1.

Row 4 (RS): sl1, k11, plm, k9, plm, k11, p1.

Row 5 (WS, increase row): sl 1, k11, slm, k1, (m1, k2) 2 times, (m1, k1) 4 times, slm, k11, p1. 39 sts.

Row 6 (RS): sl 1, k11, slm, k15, slm, k11, p1.

Row 7 (WS): sl, k11, slm, p15, slm, k11, p1.

Repeat rows 6 - 7 three more times.

Row 14 (RS): sl 1, k11, slm, 5/5 RC, k5, slm, k11, p1.

Row 15 (WS): repeat row 7.

Repeat rows 6-7 three times.

Row 22 (RS): sl 1, k11, slm, k5, 5/5 LC, slm, k11, p1

Row 23 (WS): repeat row 7.

Repeat rows 6-7 three times.

Repeat rows 14-29 eleven (11) times.

Repeat rows 14-22 once.

Row 215 (WS, decrease row): sl1, k11, slm, p2tog x 4, p2, p2tog, p1, p2tog, slm, k11, p1. 33 sts.

Border with the buttonholes

Row 216 (RS): sl1, k11, slm, k9, slm, k 11, p1.

Row 217 (WS): sl1, k11, rm, k9, rm, k11, p1.

Rows 218 (RS) and 219 (WS): sl1, k 31, p1.

Row 220 (RS): (k4, bind off 3 sts) 4 times, k4, p1. 21 sts.

Row 221 (WS): sl1, k3, (cast on 3 sts, k4) 4 times, p1. 33 sts.

Rows 222 (RS) and Row 223 (WS): repeat rows 218-219.

Bind off


Finishing

Weave in ends.

Block.

Sew on 4 buttons onone side of the cowl, near the beginning (see picture).

Have fun!

Beginning of the Cowl Chart

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End of the Cowl Chart

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