They are perfect for many situations from casual walks by a lake or an evening out. However, there is one situation when there can be a problem with cowls – and that is when you want to wear them under a coat or jacket. Then you might find that they are trying to stick out from your body and refusing to fold neatly at the neckline.
There is fortunately an easy solution to that, but we need to go into the realms of mathematics to find it!
And you can achieve that same neat fold in a looped cowl or scarf by simply adding a half-twist then joining the two ends together! It's such a simple technique but adds so much to the finished result. As you can see in the photos above, this forms a pleasing 'V' shape at the front while still allowing the scarf to curve smoothly around the back of your neck.
As an added bonus, this half-twist does not just make the cowl sit better, it also gives it a very special property – that it now only has one side! I wrote about this in a previous blogpost here, so please have a look at that to read all about the mathematical structure called the Moebius strip!
- Firstly, begin your work with a Provisional Cast-On.
- Then knit double the length you want for your cowl.
- Carefully undo the Provisional Cast-On and capture the live stitches onto a needle.
- Take one end of the work and give it a half-twist.
- Position the two edges together and preferably graft them together using Kitchener Stitch.
- If you can't face that method, then seam them together using a three-needle bind off. That does leave a visible seam but it is an easy method and can give a good result if the knitted fabric is fairly flat.
And there you have it – a Moebius Cowl!
However, they really come into their own when wrapped twice around your neck for extra warmth. The Moebius twist seems to make the fabric fold in a particularly appealing way, giving an intriguing shape and geometry to a simple scarf.
It doesn't matter what the stitch is, so you can have fun delving through collections of knitting stitches such as our Reversible Knitting Stitches book for inspiration. For example, the cowl and scarf I am featuring in this blogpost use Mistake Rib from the book and this gives a beautifully cozy ribbed neckwarmer.
I hope that has given you some inspiration for trying a Moebius Cowl or Infinity Scarf as your next project. If you'd like more information about the Sawston Cowl and Infinity Scarf pattern, then please click here. The pattern includes instructions for both a cowl or a longer Infinity Scarf so you can have fun trying out both lengths to see which you like better.
Next time, I will be back with a look at this year's hot-fashion trend: short scarves and buttoned neck-warmers.
So until then – Happy Knitting!
Moira
Last Blogpost: Time to knit a cowl Autumn Accessories Series #1: Autumn Accessories Next Up: On trend with short scarves and buttoned neckwarmers Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com |
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