INTRODUCTION

Cowichan Waves

by Donna Druchunas

A couple of years ago, I took a colorwork knitting class with Canadian designer Sylvia Olsen, author of Knitting Stories: Personal Essays and Seven Coast Salish-inspired Knitting Patterns and Working with Wool: A Coast Salish Legacy and the Cowichan Sweater. In the class, I learned that the style of knitting used to make Cowichan sweaters--including the colorwork technique that has no floats--is the only 100% North American knitting tradition. I designed this cowl and hat because I had so much fun in the class, I wanted to keep knitting with the two-color technique that we learned.

These projects can be made using traditional colorwork technique used by the Coast Salish knitters or with any technique for stranded knitting that you already know. I’ve used two different techniques on the cowl so you can see what each looks like on the inside. The Coast Salish technique tends to work up looser than traditional stranded knitting for many knitters, so you may find that you need to use a smaller needle for this technique. It’s quite surprising, because the opposite is normally true for stranded knitting. Many knitters need to go up a needle size to get the same gauge in stranded colorwork than they do in one-color stockinette stitch.

This design is dedicated to Sylvia and to all of the Coast-Salish knitters who have knit in this style and designed and knit the famous Cowichan sweaters that are still inspiring knitters everywhere today.

model: Donna Druchunas

photos: Dominic Cotignola

SIZE

Hat: Child[Woman, Man]
Cowl: One Size

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Hat:
Circumference: 18[20, 22 1/2] inches/46[51, 57]cm
Depth: 8 inches/20.5cm

Cowl:
Circumference at bottom: 40 inches/102cm
Circumference at top: 30 inches/76cm
Length: 12 inches/30.5cm

MATERIALS

Yarn
ModeKnit Yarns ModeWerk Bulky [100% Merino wool; 106yd/97m per 100g skein];
[MC] 014 Coal; 2 skeins
[CC1] 001 Pearl; 1 skein
[CC2] 030 Aquamarine; 1 skein

Note: Both projects can be made with this amount of yarn.

Recommended needle size
Hat:
US #9/5.5mm circular needle, 16-inch/40 cm
US #9/5.5mm needles for small circumference in the round

Cowl:
US #9/5.5mm circular needle, 24-inch/60 cm
US #10/6mm circular needle, 24-inch/60 cm

Note: Both projects can also be knit with 2 circulars or 1 long circular and magic loop.

Notions
stitch marker
yarn needle

GAUGE

10 sts/14 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm using US #11/8mm in stockinette stitch in the round

Hat
16 sts/20 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm in Moss Stitch

Cowl
14.5 sts/18 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm in Moss Stitch with larger needles
16 sts/20 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm in Moss Stitch with smaller needles

PATTERN NOTES

[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

Techniques:

• Coast Salish Colorwork Technique
  
  
• Two-Handed Fair Isle Technique
  
  
• Moss Stitch
  Rounds 1 and 2: ([K1, p1] around.
  Rounds 3 and 4: [P1, k1] around.
  Rep Rounds 1-4 for pattern.
  
  
• To make a tassel:
  Cut a piece of cardboard .5 inch/ 1.5 cm longer than the finished tassel. (I actually used my phone.) Wrap yarn around the cardboard 25 times or until it’s as full as you like. Only half of the tassel is on one side of the cardboard, it will be twice as thick when finished.
  Thread a 6 inch/15cm long piece of yarn between the cardboard and the yarn loops and tie a knot. Use these tails to attach the tassel to the cord. Slip the loops off the cardboard.
  
  Bind the tassel near the top, just below the hanging loop as follows: Wrap a 10-inch/25-cm piece of yarn around the top of the tassel several times about .5 inch/1.5 cm from the top. Thread both tails in a needle and hide them in the center of the tassel. Cut open the bottom loops and trim the ends evenly, if desired.

CHART

DIRECTIONS

Hat:
With MC and the long-tail cast-on, CO 72[80, 90] sts. Place marker and join for working in the round.

Brim
Work 8 rounds of Moss Stitch.
Knit 1 round.

Body
Round 1: [K2 MC, k2 CC2] around. Cut MC.
Round 2: [K2 CC2, k2 CC1] around.

For size M/Women only: M1 with CC2 at end of round. 81 sts.

Next round, start chart: Work Cowichan Waves chart 8[9, 10] times around.
Work as set until chart is complete.

Next round, for sizes S and L only: [K2 CC2, k2 CC1] around

Next round, for size M only: [K2 CC2, k2 CC1] to last 5 sts, k2 CC2, k1 CC1, k2tog CC1. 80 sts.

Next round: [K2 MC, k2 CC2] around.
Cut CC1 and CC2.
With MC, knit 1 round.

Work 6 rounds of Moss Stitch.
Knit 1 round.
Purl 1 round.

Crown
Next round, size S only: Knit around, placing markers after every 9th stitch to divide crown into 8 equal sections.

Next round, size M only: K2tog, k to end of round, placing markers after every 10th stitch to divide crown into 8 equal sections.

Next round, size L only: K2tog, k to about the middle of the round, k2tog again, and k to end, placing markers after every 11th stitch to divide crown into 8 equal sections.

Dec round: [K to 2 sts before marker, k2tog] around. 8 sts decreased.
Rep Dec Round 3[3, 0] more times, then change to CC2.
Repeat Dec round every round until 8 sts rem.
Cut yarn. Use yarn needle to draw tail through rem sts to fasten off.

FINISHING

Tassel (optional)
With CC2, make a twisted cord or braid approx 1 inch/2.5cm long and attach it to the top of the hat.
Make a tassel and attach it to the end of the cord.

Weave in ends. Wash and dry flat to block.

Cowl:
With larger needles, MC, and the long-tail cast-on, CO 144 sts. Join to work in the round being careful not to twist.

Bottom Moss Stitch Border
Work in Moss Stitch for 2 inches/5cm.

Color Panel 1
Round 1: [K2 MC, k2 CC2] around. Cut MC.
Round 2: [K2 CC2, k2 CC1] around.
Next round, start chart: Work Cowichan Waves chart 16 times around.
Work as set until chart is complete.

Next round: [K2 CC2, k2 CC1] around
Next round: [K2 CC1, k2 MC] around

Center Moss Stitch Section
With smaller needles and MC, k1 knit 1 round then work in Moss Stitch for 2 inches/5cm.
Dec round: (K6, k2tog) 18 times—126 sts rem.

Color Panel 2
Round 1: [K2 MC, k2 CC2] to last 2 sts, k2 MC.
Round 2: [K2 CC2, k2 CC1] to last 2 sts, k2 CC2.
Next round, start chart: Work Cowichan Waves chart 14 times around.
Work as set until chart is complete.

Next round: [K2 CC2, k2 CC1] to last 2 sts, k2 CC2.
Next round: [K2 CC1, k2 MC] to last 2 sts, k2 CC1.
Cut CC1 and CC2.

Top Moss Stitch Border
Next round: With MC, (k19, k2tog) 6 times—120 sts rem.
Work in Moss Stitch for 2 inches/5cm.

Work i-cord BO: CO 3 sts on to left ndl. *K2, ssk, slide sts back onto left ndl; rep from * until all sts of cowl are bound off. BO 3 i-cord sts. Sew beginning and end of i-cord together.
Weave in ends. Wash and dry flat to block.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Donna Druchunas is obsessed with her family history and the history of knitting. In addition to writing this column about Our Knitting Roots, she is also running a book club for knitters who want learn to appreciate the people, places, and cultures behind the stitches of their knitting projects. She is the author of many knitting books including her newest titles: How to Knit Socks that Fit and Lithuanian Knitting: Continuing Traditions. Donna has taught knitting workshops in the United States, Canada, and Europe and she has five knitting classes on Craftsy.

Her newest project is opening a small local yarn shop in rural Vermont where lives she with her husband, mother, three cats and a long-haired Chihuahua. Visit Donna's website.

Text, pattern & images © 2017 Donna Druchunas. Contact Donna