Four, quad, tetrad, quaternary, quadripartite…. fourth. This is the fourth cowl in my series of annual cowls. And what a year is was. In the past 12 months, my yarn store of choice was closed due to fire (not its building, but the restaurant next door), a coworker was killed in a car accident, and, well, 2020 rolled in and the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Plus social unrest and the quadrennial circus that is the United States Presidential election.

So this year’s cowl features no awkward techniques, just simple, satisfying knitting with a fun detail. And it seemed somehow fitting to work my sample in a colorway named Pyrokinesis, not only to recognize the restaurant fire that kicked off the period, but in honor of the dumpster fire known as 2020.

I hope this cowl brings you peace and warmth as you knit it, and as you wear it.

Size
9 1/2” (24.5 cm) tall; 25 1/2” (65 cm) circumference

Yarn
MC: approximately 300 yards fingering weight wool/wool blend
Sample worked in Whimsical Wood Yarn Co. Enchantress Sock (85% super fine superwash merino/15% nylon; 437 yards/400 m); colorway Pyrokinesis

Gauge
27 sts and 37 rounds stockinette stitch, washed and laid flat to dry.
Gauge is not critical for this project, but it will affect the amount of yarn used.

Tools
US 5 (3.5 mm) circular needle, 16” long, or size needed to obtain gauge
Stitch markers, including one unique one for beginning of round

Other
Yarn needle for weaving in ends

Errata
Sept. 24, 2020: Thanks to a lovely knitter who pointed out that there is a purl symbol missing from the chart. It’s obvious now. Row 7, second stitch should be a purl, not a knit. The written instructions for that row are correct. I will update the chart and the pattern soon.