by Meridith Shepherd

In college, (and for some of us, far beyond) team pride and pub crawls seem to go hand in hand. There is nothing quite so representative of youth as enjoying the big game while spending the afternoon and evening hopping from bar to bar with your friends. In my world, this seems to be missing something: sticks and string. With the Pub Crawl cowl, you can show your school pride, your love for knitting, and your love for a nice dark pint or an ice cold bottle all at once.

Using Intarsia, the cowl is worked flat, and then seamed to create a close fitting, warm cowl that will show off your love of brew, and keep you warm while hopping from bar to bar.

The three skeins of yarn will make two cowls; three cowls can be made by changing the placement of the colors, allowing you to make a cowl for a couple of friends too.

Grab a few skeins in university colors, or in your favorite color combination and cast on for the perfect pub crawling accessory. If beer and pub crawls aren’t your thing, wine and cider charts should meet your pub needs.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 23.5 inches
Height: 8.25 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
I Heart Beer
Malabrigo Yarns Worsted [100% Merino Wool; 210 yd/192 m per 100g skein]
[MC] Pearl; 1 skein
[CC1] Continental Blue; 1 skein
[CC2] Sauterne; 1 skein

I Heart Wine
[MC] Uva; 1 skein
[CC1] Hollyhock; 1 skein
[CC2] Pigeon; 1 skein

I Heart Cider
[MC] Uva; 1 skein
[CC1] Frank Ochre; 1 skein
[CC2] Pigeon; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
16-24 inch US #8/5mm circular needle or preferred needle style to work flat

Notions
2 stitch markers
bobbins (if desired, see Pattern Notes)
yarn needle

GAUGE

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

Each cowl will use approximately 75yds/67m of MC, 65yds/59m of CC1, and 35yds/32m of CC2.

I recommend working the intarsia pattern without the use of bobbins or yarn butterflies, simply leaving the strands hanging from the back of the work. Most of the sections for each strand are small, and the yarn length needed will be less than 1-2 yards/meters, so the hanging yarn is easier and faster to manage than a bobbin or butterfly would be.

To estimate your yarn needs for each strand, use the chart to count the total stitches within one section of color. For example, the MC triangle that begins on row one, stitches 16-22 of the chart would use one strand for the triangle and contains 16 sts. Wrap a strand over your needle loosely 16 times, and add about 10 inches to the length for the ends to be woven in.

When working the chart, it may be tempting to use a stranded knitting technique within the lettering of the word BEER, WINE or CIDER. Your results will be better if you continue using the intarsia technique, rather than changing to stranded knitting.

Due to the nature of the chart, there will be many ends to weave in. This process can be made less daunting by weaving in ends as you go. After completing Rows 4, 15, 33, and 37, it is advantageous to stop, trim any strands that will not be used in the following rows, and weave in those ends.

If you are looking for a less intense intarsia experience, it is possible to work the lettering using duplicate stitch. The starburst and the heart could be worked using the intarsia technique, and the words could be added later. If this is desired, be sure to create a duplicate stitch swatch to ensure that you can achieve a desirable result with the alternate technique. For more information about duplicate stitch, check out these previous Knitty features here and here

DIRECTIONS
Using CC1, cast on 102 sts.

Lower Edge
Row 1 [WS]: [P2, k2] to last 2 sts, p2.

Row 2 [RS]: [K2, p2] to last 2 sts, k2.

Repeat these two rows 2 more times, ending with a RS row.

Center Section
Join MC.
Row 1, setup markers [WS]: With MC, p29, pm, p45, pm, p to end.

Note: The chart is not perfectly centered; it will be a half stitch off center, but it is not noticeable at all when worn. If this is bothersome to you, increase in Row 1, as follows: With MC, p29, pm, p45, pm, p to last st, m1, p1. Decrease this stitch in the purl row that follows Row 37 of the chart, as follows: P1, p2tog, p to end.

Row 2, begin chart [RS]: K to marker with MC, work chart between the markers, k with MC to end.

Continue working chart between the markers, keeping the stitches on either end in MC, working in Stockinette stitch. See Pattern Notes for guidance on working Intarsia colorwork.

Upper Edge
Row 1 [WS]: Purl with MC.
At this point you can cut MC. Join CC1.
Row 2 [RS]: Knit.

Work 6 rows of ribbing as for lower edge, beginning with a WS row.

Bind off in pattern.

FINISHING
Weave in ends, taking care to prevent any loose stitches or holes in the charted section.

Block, soaking the cowl and laying it flat to dry. Seam the two ends.

Meridith has been knitting for 11 years and published her first knitting pattern in 2011. Since then, she has focused on home items and wearable accessories, but has deemed 2015 The Year of The Sweater Design.

You can find her knitting, cooking and drinking at stackedwoolens.com.