by Bristol Ivy

Every knitter has a skein of wonderfully hand-painted and variegated sock yarn in their stash that they don't have any idea what to do with. The colors -- beautiful, vivid tones that meld harmoniously in the skein -- clash horribly in any project they try. So what's a knitter to do?

The wheels of this question started turning for me when I saw the work in progress of a visitor to my LYS; a lovely all-over stitch pattern made the long color transitions of her shawl graphic and vivid. I wondered what this pattern might do when a yarn with much shorter repeats, such as a hand-painted sock yarn, was brought into play, and then what would happen if the whole thing was turned on its side. The Sallah Cowl is the result!

Knit on the bias in a simple twisted rib that is made fresh and interesting by needle size changes, and finished with an applied i-cord, the Sallah Cowl is a quick and easy project that will add texture and interest to any outfit.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 22 inches
Depth: 13 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight [100% superwash merino; 405 yds/370 m per 155g skein]; Scum Bubbles; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 24-inch or longer US #5/3.75mm circular needle
1 24-inch or longer US #10/6mm circular needle

Notions
yarn needle

GAUGE

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

All wrong side [WS] rows will be worked on larger needle, and all right side [RS] rows will be worked on smaller needle.

P2tog-b: Purl 2 sts together through the back loop.

DIRECTIONS

Increases
Row 1 [WS]: With larger needle, p1, [k1tbl, p1] to end.

Row 2 [RS]: With smaller needle, k1, m1, [p1, k1tbl] to last 2 sts, p1, m1, k1. 2 sts increased.

Row 3 [WS]: With larger needle, p1, [p1, k1tbl] to last 2 sts, p2.

Row 4 [RS]: With smaller needle, k1, m1, [k1tbl, p1] to last 2 sts, k1tbl, m1, k1. 2 sts increased.

Rep these 4 rows 22 more times. 97 sts.

Body
Row 1 [WS]: With larger needle, p1, [k1tbl, p1] to end.

Row 2 [RS]: With smaller needle, k1, k2tog, [p1, k1tbl] to last 2 sts, p1, m1, k1.

Row 3 [WS]: With larger needle, p1, [p1, k1tbl] to last 2 sts, p2.

Row 4 [RS]: With smaller needle, k1, p2tog, [k1tbl, p1] to last 2 sts, k1tbl, m1, k1.

Rep these 4 rows until left edge measures 17 inches.

Decreases
Row 1 [WS]: With larger needle, p1, [k1tbl, p1] to end.

Row 2 [RS]: With smaller needle, k1, k2tog, [p1, k1tbl] to last 4 sts, p1, ssk, k1. 2 sts decreased.

Row 3 [WS]: With larger needle, p1, [p1, k1tbl] to last 2 sts, p2.

Row 4 [RS]: With smaller needle, k1, p2tog, [k1tbl, p1] to last 4 sts, k1tbl, p2tog-b, k1. 2 sts decreased.

Rep these 4 rows 21 more times. 9 sts.

Final Decreases
Row 1 [WS]: With larger needle, p1, [k1tbl, p1] to end.
Row 2 [RS]: With smaller needle, k1, k2tog, p1, k1tbl, p1, ssk, k1. 7 sts.
Row 3 [WS]: With larger needle, p1, [p1, k1tbl] to last 2 sts, p2.
Row 4 [RS]: With smaller needle, k1, p2tog, k1tbl, p2tog-b, k1. 5 sts.

Using smaller needles, bind off all stitches knitwise. Do not break yarn.

FINISHING
With tail from cast on, seam two short sides together.

Work Applied I-Cord
With working yarn from bind off, smaller needles, and a backwards loop cast on, CO 3 sts, then pick up and knit 156 stitches (approximately 1 st in every row) around top edge of cowl (the edge that the yarn is still attached to). Place marker and join to work in the round.

Edging round: [K2, sl1, k1, psso, slide these 3 sts back to left needle] until 3 sts remain. Bind off all sts knitwise, pull yarn through final st and break yarn.

With smaller needles and a backwards loop cast on, CO 3 sts. Beginning at seam on bottom edge, pick up and knit 156 sts (approximately 1 st in every row) around cowl. Place marker and join to work in the round.

Repeat Applied I-Cord as for top edge of cowl.

Weave in all ends and block lightly to measurements.

Bristol Ivy is a knitting designer and fiber artist from Portland, Maine. When not ogling variegated yarns and dreaming of future designs, she works behind the scenes for Brooklyn Tweed and spends as much time as possible on the Maine coast.

You can read more about her adventures on her blog.