When I opened a letter one day and discovered we were invited to a wedding in Alaska, I just knew I had to make something for the trip! It’s the perfect climate for knit and crochet, and arguably the most picturesque places in the world, so my inspirational juices were flowing. After honestly not a lot of thought, I knew I wanted to design my first knit pattern: a cowl.
I wasn’t always a fan of cowls, but now that I’m a mom and am constantly bending over to pick something (or someone) up, it’s just so much easier to throw a cowl on rather than having to keep fixing my scarf when it falls over my shoulders again and again.
The Homer Bound Cowl – What’s in a Name?
When deciding what to name this design, I decided to play off of our destination: Homer, Alaska. I wanted it to be something unique, rather than just “Mountain cowl” or “Alaskan Cowl.” No offense if you’ve named a design this, I just like to think of names that mean something to me.
Anyway… I pondered on it for a little while, and settled on “Homer Bound.” We were actually Homer bound, since we were going there, but it was also a play on “Homeward Bound.” Whether you think of the movie with the dog and cat, or the Simon and Garfunkel song, it’s a fun little twist on the words. Maybe it’s a little cheezy, but oh well 🙂
Cowl vs. Infinity Scarf – What’s the Difference?
If you’re like me, I always just thought that people who made cowls were actually making infinity scarves and just wanted to sound fancier… but it turns out that’s not the case!
Infinity scarves are wrapped around the neck a time or two, and are normally much longer. Cowls are a bit more fitted. Also, some cowls can be worn like a hood! You could wear the Homer Bound cowl like a hood if you want, and I actually did wear it like that a few times when it was really windy on the mountains.
While cowls are more fitted than infinity scarves, I am of the opinion that they are still quite loose, just not loose enough to wrap round your neck. I don’t like turtle necks or things that make me feel like they’re choking me, so I designed the Homer Bound cowl with a looser fit in mind.
The Yarn
Another reason I chose to design a cowl for our trip was because I had some left over Lion Brand Heartland yarn sitting in my craft studio. I happened to see it one day, and thought the colors (Kings Canyon and Gs Mountains) evoked the perfect cozy and woodsy feel I was looking for. Also, the squish and softness of Heartland is unbeatable.
You will see the pattern calls for two strands of yarn. You could use two strands of the same color, but I love the heathered look the two strands creates. Instead of a dark grey or bold green, it’s a muted forest green color, reminiscent of what it looks like in the thick shaded forests in the Chugach mountains on the Kenai Peninsula.
If you can’t get Lion Brand Heartland yarn, I would recommend two strands of any worsted weight yarn, or one strand of a bulkier (5 or 6) yarn.
The Pattern
Introducing my first published knit pattern, The Homer Bound Cowl! You can get the whole pattern for free down below, or visit my shop to purchase an ad-free PDF.
Materials
Yarn: Two skeins of any medium weight yarn (I used Lion Brand Heartland colors Kings Canyon and Gs Mountains)
Size 11 (8mm) knitting needles
Yarn needle
Scissors
Difficulty Level
Beginner
Pattern Notes & Stitches to Know
CO – cast on
k – knit
p – purl
St – stockinette stitch
BO – bind off
Approximate Finished Size
Cowl is approximately 15” wide by 22” long (before seaming).
Pattern
Using one strand of Kings Canyon and one strand of Gs Mountains, CO 40
Row 1: K across (40)
Row 2: P across (40)
Row 3: Continue in St until cowl reaches 22” long.
Row 4: BO all stitches, leaving a long tail of both colors for seaming.
Seam together using mattress stitch. Weave in ends, block, and stay warm!
Notes:
- Feel free to sell this completed item, but give credit to The Sweetgum Spot. You may not share, sell or distribute the pattern.
- If you have any questions, contact me via Instagram (@sweetgumspot), Facebook (@sweetgumspot), my website (sweetgumspot.com) or email (sweetgumspot@gmail.com). I am happy to help!
- I want to see your Homer Bound Cowl! Tag me on Instagram and use the hashtag #homerboundcowl or #sweetgumspot