The MKAL is over, but you can still knit this fun pattern! Truly unique with tendrils and beads, this stylish cowl transitions from fall through winter. Whether for a night on the town, lunch with the girls, or cozying up by the fire, City Girl Cowl will keep you warm and fashion forward.

Tech edited by Katherine Vaughan, this advanced beginner level pattern includes written directions, charted directions, a diagram, and pictures. Two you tube videos also demonstrate how to make tendrils using the method in the pattern and how to make the custom beaded button. Just search “Eco Chic Knits” on you tube.

Previous MKAL details:
City Girl Cowl MKAL - How It Works:

The City Girl Cowl MKAL runs in the Eco Chic Knits Forum September 1st - 21st. In order to participate in the prizes, your FO project must be submitted by September 19th in the City Girl Cowl MKAL FO Thread (which will be created in the Eco Chic Knits Group September 13th). Please use tag: citygirlcowlmkal on your project page. Your FO will be a cowl with a unique technique measuring approximately 26”/ 66cm long by 5”/ 12.5cm wide.

What you’ll need:

• 1 Skein Galler Yarns Inca Eco – Wine 100% organic cotton 3.5 ounces/ 100 grams 140 yards/ 128 meters Or suitable substitute. Testers have used both cotton and wool yarns of the same gauge with success.
• US 8/ 5mm straight knitting needles or any size need to obtain gauge
• US I-9/ 5.5mm crochet hook (for button hole)
• US 13/ 0.75mm steel crochet hook (for beading)
• 130 beads (approximately 20 grams) Size 3 (or size needed for your yarn) Silver Lined Dark Amethyst Round Japanese Glass Seed Beads (optional) – available at www.fusionbeads.com (Canadian participants, if you want to buy your beads in country, That Bead Lady in Newmarket, Ontario, carries 17 different colors of size 3/0 Japanese glass seed beads) If you use wool yarn, testers suggest using a lighter bead. The Galler Yarns Cotton handles the weight of the glass beads well.
• 1”/ 2.5cm button (or follow instructions to make a beaded button with left over yarn)
• Yarn needle

MKAL information dates

• Presale data page sheet August 16th
• Release1 September 1st
• Supplemental how-to video September 3rd
• Release2 September 5th
• Final (Release3) September 9th
• 2nd how-to video September 9th
• FO thread created September 13th
• Voting between September 13th and 19th
• Winners announced September 21st

Now the fun stuff, Details of prizes
– 10% of participants are winners

• 1 Grand Prize chosen by voting of FOs.

• All other winners will be chosen at random from list of participants and will receive an Eco Chic Knits pattern of their choice

• All participants will receive a complementary copy of “Northern City Girl Cowl” (the 2nd part of the City Girl ebook) upon its release later in the Fall.

How to win: All participants who link their City Girl Cowl project page by September 19th will be eligible. Please use tag: citygirlcowlmkal on your project page. A “no chatter” thread will be created September 13th with eligible participants. The FO with the most “agrees” and “loves” will win their choice of an Eco Chic Knits pattern of their choice or (if at least 15 participants) 2 skeins of Galler Yarns Inca Eco (winner will have to PM snail mail address). Note: “educational” “funny” “disagree” “interesting” will not be considered in the tally.

Information about the project:
Average knitting time: 5 - 8 hours
Difficulty: advanced beginner and up
Average yarn of non-Inca Eco: 140 yards
Other fibers tested: alpaca/ merino, acrylic/ wool, acrylic, cotton, cotton/ silk.

Still not sure if this MKAL is for you? Here are some comments from my wonderful test knitters, who have the inside track on what you’ll be making, but are sworn to secrecy, so don’t even try to bribe them.

“It’s fun to knit, and looks lovely!”
“I’d wear this one myself.”
“I’d like to do the cowl again.”
“I liked this design as soon as I saw… it, and love it even more now!”
“It was a lovely, fun pattern to knit - and I’m just about to wear it today.”
“I enjoyed doing this project even with my arthritic hands.”
“Absolutely loved this pattern and have another skein of yarn I want to use for a second one.”
“I read someone else started with the written instructions and then switched to the chart after a few rows. I did the same. For this pattern the chart just seemed simpler to me. Usually I prefer the written instruction.”
“I had fun.”
“I’ve started another cowl in a knitting worsted yarn; no beads ‘cause the yarn has sequins… I’m on row 8 already and know this one won’t take as long now that I have the pattern memorized!”

Disclaimer: the below quotes are from tester associated with Galler Yarns.
“I got gauge dead-on.”
“This could be addictive - you could have the next hot thing here, like those… curly scarves everyone was knitting last year but better.”
“I am finding the metal needles a bit too slippery with this yarn… switching to bamboo.”
“This is a lot of fun - I thought the unique technique would be a pain, but they’re not.”

Copyright assigned to Knit Eco Chic 2014. For pattern support, please contact RavID: KnitEcoChic or email knitecochic@gmail.com.