Wandering Ribs

When Knit Purl - Portland, Oregon's quintessential yarn shop - asked me if I had any patterns that would be especially suited to Angelic 3 ply, I decided to design a couple of accessories just for them. Their esthetic is modern, fresh and simple yet interesting. I though my signature Adam's Ribs stitch pattern might be just the thing, so I developed a scaled-up version of the stitch and used it in this matching hat and cowl set.

The cowl is knit from one end to the other, beginning with a provisional cast on and ending with a graft - and I created a new grafting-in-rib photo tutorial just for this project (although it could be useful any time one wants to graft in rib).

The stitch pattern looks almost cabled, but it's not. It's a simple rib pattern, but with a few increases and decreases thrown in, causing the ribs to shift position in a very organic-looking way. And because the pattern repeats over an odd number of rows, it is completely reversible.

The matching hat uses the same stitch pattern, but is worked in the round from band to crown.

Sizes: Finished measurements of cowl: 16" wide by 24" around. Hat measures 21" around at the band, 24" around the widest portion, and is 9.5" deep.

Yarn: Sunday Knits 3 ply (246 yds / 225 m per 50g skein in Eden (merino), Nirvana (merino cashmere), Angelic (merino angora) or Brigadoon (merino tweed): 2 skeins for cowl, 1 skein for hat. Shown in Angelic teal.
Substitute any sport weight yarn: 450 yds for cowl, 200 yds for hat.

Needles & Notions: Size 5 US / 3.75 mm straights for cowl and circs or dpn's for hat; size 2 US / 2.75 mm circs or dpn's for hat band; tapestry needle, stitch markers (optional) for both.

Gauge: 24 sts and 30-32 rows = 4" in pattern stitch using larger needles.

Techniques used: For both: k2tog, 3 different increases; for cowl: provisional cast on (explained), grafting in rib (with link to photo-tutorial).

Pattern includes: Stitch patterns presented in both written and charted formats, glossary.

Make either or both!

Knit Wandering Ribs

© Sunday Knits 2015. All rights reserved. Design and photography by Carol Sunday.
Edited by Sandra Whittaker. Modeled by Kaitlyn Oliver and Brette Olpin.