by Sara J Bench

One of my favorite movies is Love Actually. The storyline depicts how love comes in all forms and can turn you inside out and upside down, make you laugh, and make you cry. I designed this cowl to capture this idea. With extra warmth and soft comfort, love is all around and no matter how you put it on, even inside out and backwards, it's right.

Double knitting is a technique that allows you to create two layers of fabric at once by working pairs of stitches together. Double knits have no wrong side because of this, making it a wonderful technique when the "wrong side" can be seen. It is a great way to work a color pattern that is shown in negative on the opposite side of the fabric and unlike stranding, you have a smooth fabric on both sides.

This cowl uses double knitting and a fun pattern layout to create something that looks good from every direction. The extra layer of fabric makes for a thick cushy accessory to help keep you warm during the bitter days of winter.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
8.25 inches deep, 22 inches around

MATERIALS
Yarn
Madelinetosh Tosh DK [100% superwash merino; 225yd/206m per 100g skein];
[MC] Tart; 1 skein
[CC] #Calligraphy; 1 skein

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
2 16- or 24-inch US #8/5mm circular needles

Notions
Yarn needle
Stitch Markers

GAUGE

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

Double knitting is a technique that creates two layers of fabric at once. This pattern uses it to create a negative image on the backside of the cowl. To achieve this, both yarns will travel together as follows:
MC square: move both yarns behind the work, K1 with just MC. Then move both yarns to the front of the work, P1 with just CC.

CC square: move both yarns behind the work, K1 with just CC. Then move both yarns to the front of the work, P1 with just MC.

Slip stitches: move both yarns behind the work, sl1. Then move both yarns to the front of the work, s1.

Instructions for Judy's Magic Cast on can be found here.

Instructions for grafting can be found here.

DIRECTIONS
Tubular Cast On
Hold two needles together. Make a slip knot with both yarns and place on the upper needle. This will not count as a stitch. Starting at step 4 of Judy's Magic Cast on, CO 208 sts (104 MC, 104 CC), treating MC as tail and CC as working yarn.

Set up the round: Hold the CO stitches with the purl side up, and the MC sts closet to you. With a single circular needle, work across the cast on stitches as follows: [K front st with MC, purl back st with CC].

Lower Edging
Place marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist.
You will work with a single circular needle.
Edging round: [K1 CC, p1 MC; k1 MC, p1 CC] around
Work Edging round twice more.

Body
Body round: Work Heart Pattern Chart four times around.
Work until two full repeats of the 22-row Chart are complete.

Upper Edging
Edging round: [K1 MC, p1 CC; k1 CC, p1 MC] around.
Work Edging round twice more.
Final round: [K1 CC, p1 MC] around.

Tubular Bind Off
Using two needles, separate the front and back sides of the fabric as follows: [Slip k st to needle 1, slip p st to needle 2] around.

Using MC, purl one round on just the back side fabric (the sts on needle 2).

Cut MC and weave in end between fabrics. Using CC, graft front and back sts together.

FINISHING
Weave in ends. Block to measurements.

Sara J. Bench is a knitter, spinner, and budding weaver who works as a software architect to pay for her yarn and fiber habit. She lives with her two growing boys, her understanding husband, and their dog, Ginger the Werebeast, in Pittsburgh, PA.

You can find her as CelticQueen on Ravelry.