Hills and Valleys Cowl/Hood (free pattern)

I was searching for the perfect cowl that I had in my mind to knit. Trawling on Ravelry, I wanted one, just the right size around, only once around my neck and not too tight, loose enough to pull up around my face and tall enough to get it around my ears during a windy dog walk, but able to squish it down into my collar of my coat and not be too thick and bulky. About a third of the way into the pattern I decided to make it long enough to pull up as a hood also.  I finally just un-vented this one, as Elizabeth Zimmerman would say.

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This is a simple stitch textured cowl/hood (you decide the length). Suitable for beginning knitters. Purl ridges make the cowl easy to scrunchy down or pull up. You can wear the ribbed end on top if you are wearing it as a cowl to make it snuggie around your neck or, wear the purl ridges on top if you are pulling it up as a hood. If you have any questions or find an error please let me know so I can correct it!  I’ve added some tutorial links/videos for clarification.

Thanks so much to Willie for her patience in helping me write this pattern.
Yarn/Yardage: I used some from my stash, Fisherman’s Wool from Lion Brand, it wasn’t a whole skein, approx. 375-400 yards for the hood and 275 for the cowl. Worsted weight yarn, After I knitted the first one, I decided this would be good for handspun also.
Gauge: 3 stitches/inch, don’t stress about this too much, cowl can be looser or tighter by a couple of inches.
Needles: Size 10 circular (29 inch) or size needed to get gauge
Size: Approx.  28-29 inches around
Length: 12-13 inches for a cowl or if knitting the hood about 4-6 inches longer

*Pattern revised and written as two separate patterns*



Cowl Pattern:
Cast on: 88 stitches, using a loose cast on, I used the knitted cast on. (see here for tutorial) Long tail cast on also good
Join to knit in the round, place marker, taking care not to twist stitches.

First section will make Purl ridges
1-Purl all around
2-Knit all around
repeat step 1 & 2 six times
3-knit 4 rows
4-purl 2 rows  
repeat step 3 & 4  three times 

Moss stitch section
5-k2,p2 all around
6-p2,k2 all around
repeat step 5 & 6 four times 

Purl Ridge section
7-Purl all around
8-Purl all around
9-Knit all around 
10-purl all around 
repeat step 9 & 10 two times 

Seed stich section  
11-k1,p1 all around
12-p1,k1 all around
repeat step 11 and 12 six times

purl ridges
13-Purl all around
14-Knit all around
repeat step 13 & 14 two times 

Plain ribbing
15-p1,k2 all around
repeat step 15 five rows 

Ribbing area this is your last section

Cluster ribbing section
16-p1,yo,k2, with left needle lift yarn over up and over the 2 knitted stitches and slide the yarn over off of the needle) See video here for help
17-p1,k2 all around
repeat step 16 & 17 two times 

18-purl all around

repeat step 18 two times

19-bind off using a stretchy bind off, I used Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind off, also the Russian Bind off is a good one or other technique to get a loose bind off. EZ sewn bind off link, Loose bind off 

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Hood Pattern:

Cast on: 88 stitches, using a loose cast on, I used the knitted cast on. (see here for tutorial) Long tail cast on also good
Join to knit in the round, place marker, taking care not to twist stitches.

First section will make your purl ridges

1-Purl all around
2-Knit all around
repeat step 1 & 2 six times
3-knit 4 rows
4-purl 4 rows  (repeat step 3 & 4 four times  

Moss stitch section

5-k2,p2 all around
6-p2,k2 all around
repeat step 5 & 6 four times 

Purl Ridge section
7-Purl all around
8-Purl all around
9-Knit all around 
10-purl all around  
repeat step 9 & 10 four times  

Seed stich section
11-k1,p1 all around
12-p1,k1 all around
repeat step 11 and 12 six times

Purl ridges
13-Purl all around
14-Knit all around
repeat step 13 & 14 four times  
Ribbing area this is your last section
Plain ribbing
15-p1,k2 all around
repeat step 15 for five rows

Cluster ribbing section
16-p1,yo,k2, with left needle lift yarn over up and over the 2 knitted stitches and slide the yarn over off of the needle) See video here for help

17-p1,k2 all around
repeat step 16 & 17 six times

18-purl all around
repeat step 18 two times

19-bind off using a stretchy bind off, I used Elizabeth Zimmerman's sewn bind off, also the Russian Bind off is a good one or other technique to get a loose bind off. EZ sewn bind off link, Loose bind off link



Happy Knitting!

May your needles fly as fast as Dragonflies.