Happy Accident Cowl(s)

I wanted to give this cowl a proper design layout as per my other designs, but I am sickly and I wanted to get this out in time for my birthday, so it's just not going to happen. Besides all of that, it's a super simple design, very easy to modify with whatever weight yarn you've got on hand—you could probably even mix weights, come to think of it, so take this as a 'recipe' more than your usual pattern instructions.

Others have put out similar designs, but I've found them all to require seaming, and seaming = bleh. So this is an infinity cowl looped with another infinity cowl—each with a twist—worked in the round, all in one piece, no seaming necessary. Yay! Yay for you!

I used Shibui Knits Baby Alpaca, a buttery soft DK-weight alpaca yarn. I used 2 colors, Blush and Nude, and basically cast on enough stitches to loop them around twice, and knit for as long as I could (approximately 6"). It's worked entirely in mistake rib, so it's very, very stretchy. Mistake rib = happy accident. I know I'm usually better at selling than this, but I'm sick and have I mentioned it's my birthday? It is.

I imagine if you have a bunch of scraps you could make this cowl in more than 2 colors, make each loop thinner, thicker, whatever you want—it's a recipe, so add your favorite flavors as necessary. You can even use a different weight yarn—just do a gauge swatch and multiply whatever your gauge is by 40, and cast on that number. When you get to the part where you have to cast off the first infinity loop and cast on the second infinity loop, just leave approximately 3.5" worth of stitches on the needles—it really does not have to be precise—you just need that connecting piece. You'll see what I mean when you read ahead.


Here's the recipe to make one just like mine. Happy birthday to me, and happy accident to you.

Happy Accident Cowl(s)

Size
6" wide per cowl loop, 39" around but super stretchy
Materials
2 skeins Shibui Knits Baby Alpaca, 255 yds/100 grams, shown in Blush & Nude;
1 32" circular needle size 6
1 stitch marker
Gauge
5.25 sts = 1"



CO 212 stitches using one color and Jeny's Suprisingly Stretchy Cast On. Join in round, twisting your stitches once for moebius effect. Place marker to indicate beginning of round.

Round 1: *K2, P2. Repeat * to end.
Round 2: P1, *K2, P2. Repeat * to last 3 sts, end with K2, P1

Repeat 2 rounds for as long as yarn lasts, leaving yourself enough yarn to bind off.

(This is the point at which, if you're using a different weight yarn, you should do a little math and multiply your gauge by 3.5. Subtract the result from your cast on—that is how many stitches you will bind off). Bind off 192 sts using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. Pick up second yarn color and knit across remaining 20 sts, then cast on 192 sts using Jeny's Suprisingly Stretchy Cast On.

Now you're going to join this new loop in the round. Before you do so, twist your stitches once for moebius effect, then loop these new stitches through the cowl you just finished—imagine you're creating a chain link, so that these new stitches will be worked around (through) the loop you just created. Both cowls will have a moebius twist, be connected by those 20 sts in the last step, and will also be chained together.

Kinda like this

Repeat Rounds 1 & 2 for this new cowl loop for as long as the yarn lasts. BO using Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off.

Enjoy! As I said, you can use yarn scraps and make thinner cowl loops, more cowl loops, whatever you want—just keep twisting and chaining together! FYI, this is a great TV knitting project, easily memorizable. It took me right through House of Cards, no problem.

Happy Birthday!