Have you heard the expression “a lazy wind”? It refers to when it feels like the wind goes right through you instead of blowing around you (hence it being lazy!). I designed this cowl for just such a day. It is knit at a tighter tension than the one given on the yarn label to result in a denser, more wind resistant fabric to combat cold winter winds. The simple colorwork motifs contain no long floats making this an ideal first stranded colorwork project.

*Lazy Wind Blocker patterns are available for hat, mittens, and cowl. The complete collection can be purchased exclusively from my website at a discounted price (compared to buying all 3 patterns individually at full price).*

Method: This stranded colorwork cowl is knit in the round from the bottom up. Featuring easy to memorise snowflake and “wind” patterns, it can be worked in three or more contrasting colors.

The colorwork motifs in this pattern are both charted and written out. You do not need to be comfortable working from charts in order to enjoy knitting this design!

Size: This pattern is written in 4 suggested sizes, but the circumference is easily adjusted to any length (notes for doing this are included). All instructions that differ depending on the size you are knitting are color coded and indicated with parentheses like this: XS (S, M, L).

Size - Finished Circumference - Finished Height
XS - 20” (51 cm) - 9” (23 cm)
S - 24” (61 cm) - 9” (23 cm)
M - 28” (71 cm) - 9” (23 cm)
L - 60” (152 cm) - 9” (23 cm)

Yarn: This pattern works well with three solid colors of DK yarn. I used Cygnet Pure Wool Superwash DK which states a tension of 19 stitches and 26 rows for a 10 cm (4 inches) square using 3.25-4mm needles on the label. If substituting yarn look for one with a similar gauge/tension given on the label to achieve the same fabric density.

I have chosen to use a 100% wool yarn because the resulting fabric “breathes” better than an acrylic yarn would - this helps you not overheat as you warm up when you’re out and about.
Please note I do not recommend using yarns with a high cotton content as cotton doesn’t stretch as much as other fibers and this will affect the fit of your cowl.

The amounts of each color required will depend on how many colors you pick, where you choose to use them in the cowl, and which size you knit. As a guide for the cowl pictured (size S in three colors) I used the following: quantities of Cygnet Pure Wool Superwash DK:

MC – 592 Claret approx. 160 metres (175 yards)
CC1 – 4323 Duck Egg approx. 65 metres (71 yards)
CC2 – 208 White approx. 25 metres (27 yards)