Vintage Cowl

Completed: April 2009

Pattern: With the New Cowl Neck Line, in A Stitch In Time: Vintage knitting and crochet patterns 1920-1949, Vol. 1 by Jane Waller and Susan Crawford

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy (40% Hemp, 40% Cotton, 20% Modal rayon), #26, 4 x 153yd/50g

Notes: I loved this pattern from the moment I saw it and am very happy with the results. There is currently an error listed for the back piece, and I suspect there is an error in the sleeve/armhole directions–am waiting to hear back about that as of 4/28/09.


I would strongly recommend you buy extra yarn. I did use a different yarn than recommended, but the yardage is nearly identical. I made the smallest size, which calls for 4 balls, and I thought I would be safe since the next size up also called for 4 balls. But I had to make my sash 42” instead of the 34” the pattern says in order to make sure that the sash could tie and stay tied properly. I needed a whole ball just for that, and I had basically nothing left over.


I did a few modifications. The saddle shoulder is done in stockinette rather than rib, and I cast on 4 fewer stitches. The sash is done in 1x1 rib; it looks and acts like double knitting, except the ends tend to flare out. To combat this, I modified the construction a bit:
-CO half the required number of stitches
-Row 1: Kfb of each stitch
-Row 2: Establish p1, k1 rib
-Continue in rib pattern till desired length
-Last row: K2tog to end, casting off as you go.

Thanks to TechKnitter’s excellent instructions for doing the beginning and end of the neckline bindoff stitches, I got a beautiful edge with no ugly gaps. That, combined with the fact that the fabric blocked out well and did not have any meaningful stockinette curl, meant that I was able to forego the crochet edging that the pattern suggests.





The yarn was great, blocked beautifully, and had the right mix of drape and body at this loose gauge.