Knitted Cowl Patterns for Free: Snowy Tracks Cowl

I’m so excited to begin offering my knitted cowl patterns for free! This is the first one that will be launched on my blog. But soon my bunny tails, and some new ones, like the Comfy Cozy cowl will be added to the collection of knitted cowl patterns for free on my blog.

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through my links, I might get a little something as a thank you. There is absolutely no extra cost to you, I promise!

So, if you are wanting to use the yarn that is called for in this pattern, please use this link. It costs you nothing extra to use my affiliate link, but it does help me to continue producing free content for you. Thanks a bunch!

Snowy Tracks Knitted Cowl Patterns for Free Introduction

The Snowy Tracks Cowl pattern is a fun and quick knit. It’s always nice to have a knit item that you can whip up really quickly while watching a movie, listening to your favorite music or podcast and sipping your favorite cup of cocoa.

Even though I love complex patterns, there’s something truly gorgeous about some simple knit patterns. By combining rows of stockinette and seed stitch, I created the Snow Tracks Cowl pattern.

The way the small seeds pop out in the pristine landscape of stockinette stitch reminds me of going for a walk in snow. You know how it looks when there’s been snow, and people have walked in it, but then freshly fallen snow lands on top of everything? I can see their tracks and it enhances the landscape.

I also found an ingenius way for us to skip weaving in our ends…

Happy knitting!

Skills

This project is suited for knitters who are comfortable with or who are open to learning the following skills and techniques:

Bind-off, cast-on, join and knit in-the-round, knit, make a basic knot, purl.

Not familiar with these techniques? No problem! The pattern includes links to helpful tutorial videos to guide you every step of the way.

Materials

Yarn recommendations

Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick; fiber content: 80% Acrylic; 20 Wool; 6 oz/170 g; 106 yards/97 meters; 125 yards/114 meters;

Sample used: 67 yards/62 meters; 1 ball in Storm Front colorway.

Knitting needles

US size 13 (9 mm) circular knitting needles 24 inches in length or size needed to obtain gauge

Notions

Stitch marker (for beginning of round), scissors, tapestry needle.

Gauge

9 sts x 14 rows over 4″/10 cm in pattern stitch worked in-the-round.

It is not necessary to match gauge for this pattern. If you knit with a gauge different from that in the pattern, your Snowy Tracks Cowl will end up a different finished width, and this will affect the amount of yarn needed.

Size Information

Fits most adults

Finished measurements

Circumference x height

24 x 7.25 inches/60 x 18.25 cm

Abbreviations

* * repeat instructions between
BO bind-off
CO cast-on
k knit
m marker
p purl
pm place marker
sm slip marker
st(s) stitch(es)

Cast-on Methods

To view a variety of cast-on options, check out my YouTube Cast-on tutorials. Use this link to go to my Stretchy Cast-on Tutorial playlist.

Invisible join in-the-round

To view a video for how to do an invisible join in-the-round, check out my YouTube tutorial.

Snowy Tracks Knitted Cowl Patterns for Free Instructions

Cast-on

Using your favorite stretchy cast-on method, CO 54 sts, join in-the-round and pm.

Be sure that you leave a tail of at least 10 inches or 25 cm to use as one of the ties at the front of the cowl.

Main Stitch Pattern

RND 1: *K* to m, sm

RND 2: *K* to m, sm

RND 3: *K1, p1* to m, sm

RND 4: *P1, k1* to m, sm

Repeat RNDS 1-4 a total of five times, i.e. work a total of 20 RNDS, ending on a RND 4.

Before BO, complete these two RNDS.

RND 1: *K* to m, sm

RND 2: *K* to m, sm

Bind-off

Using your favorite stretchy bind-off method, BO all stitches. Do NOT weave in ends.

Finishing

DO NOT weave in your ends.

Cut a tail that is the same height as your cowl plus the length of the CO tail end.
Using a tapestry needle thread the CO tail end and vertically weave through the purl bumps at the front of the fabric down to the BO edge.
Thread your BO tail end and vertically weave through the purl bumps (next to the ones the CO tail end was weaved through) at the front of the fabric up to the CO edge.
Trim the tail ends to be of similar length while hanging, and tie a knot to the bottom of each tail.

Block as desired.

Customization Options

Option 1: Make wider or narrower

The stitch pattern used in this cowl is a 2-stitch, 4-row repeat.

To increase the circumference, increase the number of sts CO in multiples of 2.

To decrease the circumference, decrease the number of sts CO in multiples of 2.

Option 2: Make taller or shorter

The stitch pattern used in this cowl is a 2-stitch, 4-row repeat.

To make the cowl taller, increase the number of 4-row repeats as many times to reach your desired height.

To make the cowl shorter, decrease the number of 4-row repeats until you reach your desired height.

Final thoughts on Knitted Cowl Patterns for Free: Snowy Tracks Cowl

I hope you enjoy knitting this pattern. I personally love that it’s a quick knit, and that you can get out of weaving in those ends. It is definitely a pattern you can use to whip up a last minute gift!

Leave me a comment below to let me know how you liked the pattern. Be sure to tag me on social media #ozzylosiknitdesigns and be sure to check out the test knitter photos and testimonials below!

Snowy Tracks Cowl: knitted cowl patterns for free test knitter testimonial

Do you enjoy free knit patterns? Check out a list of all my free patterns, or my post of free patterns I’ve knit designed by others! Just click (or tap) on the images below!