Season finale

While the very first springlike days fill Milano with sunshine, pollen and even more smog than usual (in the past couple of weeks I have been ill with a constant sore throat for the combined action of flower pollen and thin dust in the air), I have come up with one of the most wintery items I have ever knitted.
This cowl is quickly knit in a chunky yarn, starting with a single rib circular part and ending back and forth in seed stitch on circular needles. It can be worn with the seed stitch up, like an extrawide collar, or you may turn it upside down and smooth the seed stitch part down your chest for extra warmth. The yarn is an Italian organic 100% wool which I found at a fair. The ballband said to knit it with 6 mm (US 10) needles, but I swatched it up until I found myself knitting it with 8 mm (US 11) needles when if finally worked out nice: never trust the ballband.

La versione in italiano di qusto collo è stata pubblicata su Maglia-Uncinetto.it.

Materials

• Tre Sfere Lana bio naturale 1 hank (100 grams = 100 meters) light brown natural solid
• 8 mm (US 11) 40 cm (16”) long circular needle, or size required to get gauge with your hand (I used the Denise set and switched to a slighly longer cord for the seed stitch part)
• One large stitch marker
• Scissors and tapestry needle to hide the tails

Size: 25 cm long (9 1/2), 42 cm wide along the robbed bottom (17", unstretched), 62 cm wide (24 1/2") along the edge of the seed stitch part.

Tension: 11 sts and 17 rows = 10 cm (4”) in seed stitch

Working it

C.o. 61 sts with long tail method, join for working in the round on the circular needle by passing the last c.o. stitch over the first one and tightening it, this will create a very smooth join. Place marker between the first and the last st of the cat-on edge to mark start of the round.

• Round 1: * k1, p1 * throughout the round.

Repeat round 1 for 17 times, until the ribbed part is 12 cm (4 3/4”) long.

• Round 2: remove marker, kfb on the first st, slip the increased stitch back to the left hand needle, pm, return it to the right hand needle, p1, * k1, p1 * to 1 st before m, k1, turn the work making sure the stitch marker does not slip off the needle.

The increase will bring your stitch count to 61, setting you up for the seed stitch to be kitted on an uneven number of stitches, but will also create a gapless tansition from in the round to flat knitting. The stitch marker has been moved between these two stitches and will have to be left it to mark where to turn the work.

• Row 1: sl 1st st pwise with yarn in front, * p1, k1 * to 1 st bef the end of the row, sl last st pwise with yarn in front, turn.
• Row 2: * k1, p1 * to 1 st bef the end of the row, k1, turn.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 for 5 times. Leave the marker in until the edge between the two sides is clearly visible (it will take you some 3-4 rows), then you can remove it. If you hold the piece straight you may notice that one of the rows is almost 1 cm longer than the other. To balance them out work a short row:

• Row 3: sl 1st st pwise with yarn in front, * p1, k1 * 7 times (15 sts worked), w&t.
• Row 4: * k1, p1 * to 1 st bef the end of the row, k1, turn.

On next odd row work as established to the 16th st where you will have to hide the short row by purling the st along with the wrap. Continue knitting as established until you almost run out of yarn, ending with an even row.
Bind off all sts in pattern (k over p and p over k). Hide tails by weaving them on the wrong side of the cowl and cut off the excesses, then wash the cowl in warm water with a drop of mild detergent and dry flat.