The Story So Far

My first knitting pattern sale was in July 2019, for a simple lace rib neck warmer. 

My path to becoming a pattern writer is probably quite familiar to many designers: I began as a knitter; my grandma taught me to knit and I made toys and cardigans for friends’ children and jumpers for myself and my family.  I started adapting the patterns I was knitting to suit – a different stitch, a slightly different neckline, or a thicker wool than that suggested – adapting them to fit the person I was knitting for. 

I found Etsy a few years ago, opened a shop and listed various things to begin with: vintage jewellery I’d collected, a handmade quilt, a handmade necklace.  Then, I made a jumper from an original 1940s pattern and listed this.  Inspired by the Etsy listings I was seeing for knitting patterns, I wrote a couple of simple, beginner, knitting patterns...

 

'Story so far' Cowl

The ‘Story so far’ cowl marks the 4 years – and 1,000 Etsy sales - since I began selling knitting patterns.  It takes stitches used in the patterns I’ve written and combines them to make a simple ‘sampler’ cowl. 

MATERIALS

1 100g ball of West Yorkshire Spinners’ Signature 4 ply (pictured in yellow)
A 3.25 mm circular knitting needle, 80cm long
A tapestry needle
A stitch marker (optional)
Are you looking for a ‘stash-busting’ pattern?  Try knitting the cowl in shades of the same colour using leftover wool or alternatively, use a graduated ‘ombre’ yarn.
 
ABBREVIATIONS
cm – centimetres, g – grams, k – knit, k2tog – knit two together, M – make, M1L – make one ladder (pick up loop between two stitches and knit), Mm – millimetres, p – purl, rep – repeat, st(s) – stitch(es), yon – yarn over needle
 
TECHNIQUES
Casting on, casting off, Garter Stitch (knit every row), Eyelet Mesh Stitch, Stretchy rib cast on, K1 P1 rib and knitting in the round
 
MEASUREMENTS
67 inches long, 6.5 inches wide
 
DIFFICULTY
Easy-Medium

 

PATTERN
Using a 3.25mm circular knitting needle, cast on 360 stitches using a stretchy rib cast on. 
 
 
Rib Panel
Work 8 rows in K1 P1 rib as follows:
 
Row 1:                 *K1, P1.  Rep from * to end.
 
Rep row 1 until 8 rows are completed.
 
 
Stocking-stitch Panel
Decrease evenly by 36 stitches across the next row to 324 stitches as follows:
 
Decrease Row:                 *K8, K2tog.  Rep from * to end (36 times)
 
Knit the next two rows.
 
Decrease evenly by 9 stitches across the next row to 315 stitches as follows:
 
Decrease Row:                 *K34, K2tog.  Rep from * to end (9 times)
 
 
Eyelet Mesh Stitch Panel
The eyelet mesh stitch has a 3 stitch repeat and is worked over 4 rows. 
 
Row 1:                     *M1 (yon), K1, K2tog.  Rep from * to end of row
Row 2:                     Knit
Row 3:                     *K2tog, M1 (yon), K1.  Rep from * to end of row
Row 4:                     Knit
 
Work 2 more repeats of the 4-row stitch pattern.
 
 
Stocking Stitch Panel
Increase by 9 stitches across the next row.  Increase by picking up and knitting the loop in between two stitches.
 
Increase Row:    *K35, M1L (pick up loop between stitches and knit).  Rep from * to end of row (9 times)
 
Next 3 rows:      Knit
 
 
Garter Stitch Panel
As the cowl is knit in the round, the garter stitch panel is made up of knit and purl rows (when knit flat it would be all knit rows):
 
Row 1:                 Purl
Row 2:                 Knit
 
Rep Rows 1 & 2 5 times in total
 
Next Row:          Purl
 
 
Stocking-stitch Panel
Knit 3 rows
 
Decrease evenly by 9 stitches across the next row to 315 stitches as before:
 
Decrease Row:                 *K34, K2tog.  Rep from * to end (9 times)
 
 
Eyelet Mesh Stitch Panel
Complete as before, working 3 repeats of the 4-row stitch pattern.
 
 
Stocking-stitch Panel
Increase by 9 stitches across the next row.  Increase by picking up and knitting the loop in between two stitches (as before).
 
Increase Row:    *K35, M1L (pick up loop between stitches and knit).  Rep from * to end of row (9 times)
 
Next 2 rows:      Knit
 
Increase by 36 stitches across the next row. 
 
Increase Row:    *K9, M1L (pick up loop between stitches and knit).  Rep from * to end of row (36 times)
 
 
K1 P1 Rib Panel
Knit the final rib panel:
 
Row 1:                 *K1, P1.  Rep from * to end
 
Rep Row 1 for a total of 8 times.
 
Cast off in rib and sew in ends.

 
Pattern Links: 
 
The lace rib neck warmer pattern is for sale here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/713256720/knitting-patterns-lace-rib-neckwarmer. 
 
The Christmas Pudding Baby Cardigan which uses the eyelet mesh stitch is available here: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1269336371/knitting-pattern-christmas-pudding-baby. 

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