INTRODUCTION

Farrand

by Audrey Knight

Beatrix Farrand was an accomplished landscape architect in the first half of the 20th century. She loved to use latticework against building walls as a way to bring vertical elements to a garden. She also used trellises to define cozy spaces in her designs. The openwork stitch pattern in this cowl and loop remind me of these elements of her magnificent gardens.

Using worsted weight yarn, the cowl makes for a very quick knit – just right for gift-giving. The loop does double-duty as a scarf or, wrapped twice, a warm and cozy cowl.

You can let your imagination run wild with any color combinations you like. I especially love using hand-dyed yarns for this pattern. With beautifully saturated shades, nearly-solid colors lend richness to the pieces. Or use yarns with many colors for a livelier look. I love variegated yarn with loads of bright colors, but I don’t always know what to do with them. The openwork stitch pattern lends itself perfectly to showing off all the different shades.

models: Josephine Ankrah, Yliana Cheyenne

photos: Gale Zucker

SIZE

Cowl[Loop]

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Circumference: 22.75[44] inches/58[112] cm
Depth: 6 inches/15cm

MATERIALS

Cowl:
Malabrigo Rios (100% Superwash Merino Wool; 210 yd/192 m per 100 g skein)
[MC] #096 Sunset, 1 skein
[CC] #121 Marte, 1 skein

Loop:
Malabrigo Rios (100% Superwash Merino Wool; 210 yd/192 m per 100 g skein)
[MC] #886 Diana, 1 skein
[CC] #136 Sabiduria, 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below - every knitter's gauge is unique]
Cowl: 1 16-inch/40 cm US #7//4. 5 mm circular needle
Loop: 1 32-inch/80 cm US #7/4.5 mm circular needle

Notions
stitch marker
yarn needle

GAUGE

Note: If you’re making the Loop, I suggest making your gauge swatches in the CC so you don’t run out of the MC.

20 sts/27 rows = 4 inches/10 cm in stockinette stitch
18 sts/24 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm in in Openwork Stitch pattern (It’s best to work this swatch in the round for accuracy.)

PATTERN NOTES

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

Break the yarns when you change, rather than carrying them. Although it might not seem necessary, if you carry the yarns up, they are visible through the openwork sections.

Openwork Stitch Pattern
Setup rnd 1: Knit.
Setup rnd 2: [Yo, k3, pass the first of the 3 knitted sts over the other 2] to end.
Rnd 1: Knit.
Rnd 2: Shift marker 1 st to the right (see Pattern Notes), [k3, pass the first of the 3 knitted sts over the other 2, yo] to end.
Rnd 3: Knit.
Rnd 4: Shift marker 1 st to the left, bring yarn to front, [yo, k3, pass the first of the 3 knitted sts over the other 2] to end.
Repeat Rnds 1-4 for pattern

To shift marker to the right: remove marker, slip stitch from right-hand needle to left-hand needle, PM.

To shift marker to the left: remove marker, slip stitch from left-hand needle to right-hand needle, PM.

DIRECTIONS

With CC, CO 102[198] sts, using long-tail method.

Ensuring that CO edge is not twisted, join to work in the round as follows: slip first st from left needle onto right needle, pass next st on right needle over slipped st and onto left needle. The two stitches will cross each other, maintaining the same stitch count as was casted on. Turn work so that WS of CO edge (side with purl-like bumps) is facing. Place marker to indicate beginning of round and proceed as follows:

Bottom Stripe
Rnd 1: Knit.
Rnds 2-3: Purl.
Rnd 4: Knit.
Break CC.

Openwork Edge
Join MC.
Work Openwork Pattern once – 6 rounds total.
Break MC.

Accent Stripe
Join CC.
Knit 1 round.
Purl 2 rounds.
Knit 1 round. Break CC.

Openwork Center
Note: If pooling looks like it will be a problem when using highly variegated colorways, break and re-join yarn on knit rounds 2, 4, and 6 as desired. Take care when making the Loop not to use very long tails, or you may run out of MC yarn.

Join MC.
Work Openwork Stitch Pattern once, then repeat Rnds 1-4 four more times.
Break MC.

Work Accent Stripe as before.
Work Openwork Edge as before.
Work Accent Stripe once more.

BO loosely purlwise.

FINISHING

Block and weave in ends.

For the loop, if necessary to make it lie flat once it’s mostly dry, I like to hang the piece over my ironing board with the right side facing and steam it very lightly in sections. I gently pat the knitting after applying the steam. The goal is to make the piece lie flat, while still retaining some of its texture.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Designer and teacher Audrey Knight is the author of Reversible Scarves: Curing the Wrong Side Blues, a book for anyone who loves to knit scarves but is dismayed when the “wrong” side shows. Audrey is a nature-loving knitter and has been known to mix critter photos and landscapes in with her knitting experiences on her web site, AudKnits.com.

She can be found on Ravelry as AudKnits, where she publishes independent patterns. Her work has appeared in Knitty and Vogue Knitting, among other publications.

Pattern & images © 2016 Audrey Knight. Contact Audrey