Diagonal Knitted Ribbed Cowl

When I first saw this spectacular generous cowl in kaleidoscopic colors, I knew I had to knit the piece.  The designer, Rosemary Drysdale, published the directions in the Noro Knitting Magazine #13, Fall/inter in 2018.  My local yarn shop was able to access the pattern for me for a $5.00 fee.  If I bought the 200 gram skein of Noro yarn, Ita in #03 Rhapsody for$45.00, the pattern would have been complimentary.  While that prospect was tempting, I already had 2 skeins of Loops and Threads of Natural Marl yarn in the Spice colorway in my stash.  I knew that this yarn would be a perfect alternate.

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Fabric University defines marled yarn as "novelty yarn produced combining two single roving, slightly twisted colors into a single yarn that has the appearance of two-toned candy cane  mottled effect."  The subtle shading in my Spice Natural Marled Yarn went from warm brown and white to blackish hues.  The result was similar to that of the Noro yarn at $7.99 per skein for 2 skeins for a total of $15.99 for my glamorous accessory.  Also at the time of purchase, I was able to acquire a free skein when I bought the 2 I needed for the cowl.  I used the remaining skein to knit a pair of mittens.

The cowl is worked in a long rectangle in a seed and ribbed pattern. The the cast on edge is seamed along the side to form the cowl.  Ravelry notes that the cowl is knit in 437 yards of aran weight yarn on #7 or 4.5 mm needles.  The gague is 24 stitches and 24 rows for 4 inches.  The specific directions can be purchased right on the Ravelry site.

My Natural Marled Yarn was delightful to knit with.  The fiber was soft and did not split.  It was also easy to make corrections if I made an error when I was knitting the seed pattern of the ribbing.

From beginning to completion, I worked on my cowl for about 2 weeks.  I ws eager to reveal the finished work to my knitting and crocheting group.  I followed the pattern directions to transform the rectangular fabric into a elegant cowl.  When I stood before the hall mirror, my immediate reactions was "wow!"  This is the perfect accessory to style my winter wardrobe.

A fellow knitter in my craft group already had Noro yarn in her stash and was able to access the pattern.  As she was kind enough to allow me to photograph her work, I ws ready to share  her cowl in this post.  The stitch identification stands out with the Noro yarn. However, I prefer the the soft texture of the Natural Marled Yarn for a wearable accessory.

As noted earlier, I had enough yarn to knit a pair of mittens.  the ribbed seed stitch pattern made for an interesting and comfortable cuff.  As I was knitting in the round, I only had knit the stock and net portion of the rib.  The seed stitch remained the same. .  As in previous projects, I followed Tin Can Knits , "The World's Simplest Mittens."

As always, I appreciate your reflections and feedback.  I invite you to join me on my stitching journey.