Knitted Men's Beanie with Matching Cowl

 For the past couple of weeks I have been experimenting with gifts for men.  Fortunately a free app called Bellish came up with a self-generating pattern for a knitted hat that I could adapt to any design.  I chose the fitted beanie in adult man's size in worsted wool, Lo and behold, the program generated a personalized pattern to knit.  The stripe design came from a photo I admired on-line.  I originally planned to use it for the matching cowl, but I was able to adapt it to the beanie. I was pleased with the results.The yarn for the project came from a local discount store that has seasonal finds.  Sprightly Yarns in Heather Gray was 80% acrylic and 20% wool.  Because of the seasonal nature of the store, you have to make your purchases when you see them because the supply is not replaced when it is sold out. I used a batch of comparable black yarn from my stash for the contrast.   I ended up casting on 96 stitches and worked on the beanie from the bottom up. The beanie was comfortable, but somewhat lighter than the crocheted piece that I had completed last week.  Many knitters will prefer to work from a chart.  In that case, see:  "How Many Stitches to Cast on for a Hat from All Free Knitting?"  There is one chart for measurements according to age.  Another chart works out the number of stitches needed according to size and weight of yarn.
https://www/allfreelnitting.com/Knitting-Tutorials/Knitting-Hat-Size-Chart.  ​
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Again, I did not find a complete free pattern for my men's cowl.  Since the stitch count for the hat was 96 stitches cast on, I figured that about 120 stitches would do the trick for the cowl.  I wanted a piece that would drape and be comfortable while still keeping the wearer warm.  The stripe design came from a photo on Pinterest titled Snood Pfit Gar.  My son-in-law, Gabe wears a black coat, and so the set would be styliish as he protected himself in chilly weather.

As I mentioned in my crochet article, I found a styrofoam head mannikin for posing my pieces. When Gabe saw his "understudy" he volunteered to pose in person. He is looking forward to taking possession of the pieces once I am through with my writing, photographing, and posting  this article. (http://www.lilcreates.com/lillians-blog/crocheted-gifts-for-men)

I focused my efforts to complete these pieces in a timely fashion so that my readers would've the option of making them for the men in their lives before Father's Day.  Enjoy your knitting.  I would love to see how you interpreted the directions to make a hat and cowl sets for yourself. 
while i created my pieces with grey and black, there are many color combinations that would be attractive.  How would the hat and cowl look in:   bone and coffee, blue and brown, black and red, sage and beige.  The possibilities are endless. I hope that the knitting tool from Bellish works for you now and in the future.  I was so happy to find the size and stitch chart (All Free Knitting), and I will keep it in my Knitting binder for future use.

As always, I welcome your feedback and reflections.  {lease join me on my stitching journey.