by Kiki Kawaii

Everyone has at least one perfect single skein of sock yarn. Too beautiful to hide in shoes, luxurious, fun.

This cowl brings out the gems in your hidden treasure by highlighting its gorgeous colours with a simple and fun pattern that breaks up pooling and lets each colour shine.
Slipped stitches create an extra cushy fabric, while the diagonal lines keep things interesting.

So get your most precious skein and wear it right next to your face. Because you both deserve it.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Width: 6.5 inches
Length: 34 inches around, after blocking

MATERIALS
Yarn
Yarn vs Zombies Blue Blood [BFL/Silk, 400 yards, 100 grams]; Muted Rainbow, 1 skein.

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below — every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 28-inch (or longer) US #4/3.5mm circular or straight needle

Notions
waste yarn and crochet hook for provisional cast on
yarn needle
cable needle

GAUGE
28 sts/38 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
24 sts/32 rows = 4 inches in pattern stitch

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

The sample cowl was knit with a single skein of yarn. Use two skeins for a long cowl you can wrap around your neck several times, or thicker yarn for a cushier cowl. A lofty, bouncy yarn will work better than a thin, drapey yarn.
The cowl is cast on with a provisional cast-on, then knit back and forth. Increases and decreases on the edge cause the fabric to bias, while the slipped stitches create a bouncy, textured fabric.

The pattern is knit on the bias. If you prefer, you can leave out the slanting for a straight-on pattern. To do so, leave out the M1 at the start and the K2tog at the end of each odd row.

Note: Because the slipped stitches are elongated, using a cable needle doesn’t really work for the cables. As instruction, drop the stitch off the needle and hold it; return the stitch to the left needle to work it.

C3L: Drop the slipped stitch off the needle and hold it in front of the work; knit next two stitches, knit the slipped stitch.

C2L: Drop the slipped stitch off the needle and hold it in front of the work; knit next stitch, knit the slipped stitch.

C3R: Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold in back of work, knit next stitch (the slipped stitch), knit sts from cable needle.

C2R: Slip next sts to cable needle and hold in back of work, knit next stitch (the slipped stitch), knit st from cable needle.

Sl 1: On RS, sts are slipped purlwise with yarn in back (at WS of work); on WS, sts are slipped purlwise with yarn in front (at WS of work).

This project uses a provisional cast on. Use your preferred provisional cast on technique; directions for one technique may be found here:

Grafting:
Instructions for grafting can be found here.

Cache-cache stitch
Row 1 [RS]: Sl3, M1, k to last 5 sts, k2tog, k3.
Row 2 [WS]: Sl3, purl to end.
Row 3 [RS]: Sl3, M1, [sl1, k2] to last 7 sts, k2, k2tog, k3.
Row 4 [WS]: Sl3, p3, [p2, sl1] to last 4 sts, p4.
Row 5 [RS]: Sl3, M1, k1, [C3L] to last 6 sts, k1, k2tog, k3.
Row 6 [WS]: Sl3, purl to end.
Row 7 [RS]: Sl3, M1, [k1, sl1, k2, sl1, k1] to last 8 sts, k2, k2tog, k4.
Row 8 [WS]: Sl3, p3, [p1, sl1, p2, sl1, p1] to last 4 sts, p4.
Row 9 [RS]: Sl3, M1, [C3R] to last 7 sts, k2, k2tog, k3.
Row 10 [WS]: Sl3, k to last 3 sts, p3.
Row 11 [RS]: Sl3, M1, k to last 5 sts, k2tog, k3.
Row 12 [WS]: Sl3, purl to end.
Row 13 [RS]: Sl3, M1, k2 [sl1, k2] to last 5 sts, k2tog, k3.
Row 14 [WS]: Sl3, p3, [sl1, p2] to last 4 sts, p4.
Row 15 [RS]: Sl3, M1, k3, [C3L] to last 7 sts, C2L, k2tog, k3.
Row 16 [WS]: Sl3, purl to end.
Row 17 [RS]: Sl3, M1, [sl1, k2] to last 7 sts, sl1, k1, k2tog, k3.
Row 18 [WS]: Sl3, [p2, sl1] to last 4 stitches, p4
Row 19 [RS]: Sl3, M1, C2R, [C3R] to last 5 sts, k2tog, k3.
Row 20 [WS]: Sl3, knit to last 3 st, p3.
Row 21 [RS]: Sl3, M1, k to last 5 sts, k2tog, k3.
Row 22 [WS]: Sl3, purl to end.
Row 23 [RS]: Sl3, M1, k1, [sl1, k2] to last 6 sts, k1, k2tog, k3.
Row 24 [WS]: Sl3, p2, [p2, sl1] to last 5 sts, p5.
Row 25 [RS]: Sl3, M1, k2, [C3L] to last 5 sts, k2tog, k3.
Row 26 [WS]: Sl3, purl to end.
Row 27 [RS]: Sl3, M1, [k2, sl1] to last 7 sts, k2, k2tog, k3.
Row 28 [WS]: Sl3, p3, [sl1, p2] to last 4 sts, p4.
Row 29 [RS]: Sl3, M1, k1, [C3R] to last 6 sts, k1, k2tog, k3.
Row 30 [WS]: Sl3, knit to last 3 st, p3.

DIRECTIONS
Using the method of your choice, provisionally cast on 55 stitches.

Join working yarn and knit 2 rows.

Work Cache-Cache pattern stitch, from chart or written instructions as you prefer. Repeat until desired length or until you run out of yarn, leaving at least 2 feet of yarn for grafting, ending after a plain knit row – pattern rows 1, 5, 11, 15, 21 or 25. The sample shown has 8 full repeats.

FINISHING
Block and weave in ends.

Kiki Kawaii is an author, fiber artist and adventuress living in Melbourne, Australia, with her crazy cat and patient boyfriend. When she is not dyeing yarns, writing or knitting, she is probably out snowboarding, geocaching or hiking.

She shares her knitting (mis)adventures and preparing for the zombie apocalypse on Instagram as yarnvszombies. Why not come hang out?