Estee Refined Cowl From Refined Knits
Posted on May 28, 2016
Estee—pronounced “es-TEE”—means star, and the cables worked among the eyelets in this cowl remind me of stars. I discovered this stitch pattern in one of my Japanese stitch dictionaries. I love the way that two common stitch patterns—yarnovers with decreases plus a fourstitch cable—mix to make a sweet, feminine fabric. I added a seed-stitch border. Combining simple patterns can create a lovely, lightweight cowl that is perfect for year-round wear. Estee has a simple lace stitch, making it appropriate for a novice lace knitter. It is a good design for practicing cabling without a needle because the cables are small and spread apart. I used <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DHP0NVQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00DHP0NVQ&linkCode=as2&tag=craftfocom-20&linkId=J6HV6TWXE3L7XS3M">Berroco Maya Yarn</a> for Estee, an unusual blend of Pima cotton and alpaca fibers. The alpaca makes it soft, and the high content of cotton makes it wearable during warmer seasons. Estee—pronounced “es-TEE”—means star, and the cables worked among the eyelets in this cowl remind me of stars. This project was excerpted with permission from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/163250068X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=163250068X&linkCode=as2&tag=craftfocom-20&linkId=MZURYKI6ZCIA6NXU">Refined Knits: Sophisticated Lace, Cable, and Aran Lace Knitwear</a>.
Step 1
**FINISHED SIZE** About 48½" (123 cm) in circumference and 5½" (14 cm) wide. **YARN** Worsted weight (#4 Medium). Shown here: Berroco Maya (85% cotton, 15% alpaca; 137 yd [125 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]), cielo 5611, 2 skeins or 241 yd (220 m) of similar yarn. **NEEDLES** Size U.S. 7 (4.5 mm): 24" (60 cm) circular (cir). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge. **NOTIONS** Stitch marker (m); cable needle (cn); tapestry needle. **GAUGE** 20 sts and 28 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in St st. 16 sts and 38 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in lace cable pattern, blocked. Gauge is not critical. **STITCH GUIDE** • 2/2 LC (2 over 2 left cross): Sl 2 sts onto cn and hold in front, k2, k2 from cn. Seed stitch (multiple of 2 sts): • Rnd 1: *K1, p1; rep from *. • Rnd 2: *P1, k1; rep from *. • Rep Rnds 1 and 2 for patt. **A word about construction:** Estee is worked in the round. If you desire a wider cowl, work additional rounds of the Aran Lace chart. If you’d prefer a longer or shorter cowl, add or subtract stitches in increments of 12, which will result in a difference of 2¾" (7 cm) per repeat in the Aran Lace chart. See Doing the Math on page 76. The cables may be worked without a cable needle if desired. Berroco Maya is a chainette yarn, which is similar to a knitted I-cord. It has more give and stretch than a traditional plied yarn, but it retains the crispness characteristic of cotton yarns. Maya is combed with a bit of alpaca, which gives it a slight halo without distracting from the stitch definition.
Step 2
**LIGHT COWL** CO 192 sts using the long-tail method. Place marker (pm) for beg of rnd and join for working in rnds, being careful not to twist sts. Work 5 rnds in seed st. Work Rows 1–9 of the Aran Lace chart. Next rnd: Work Row 10 of the Aran Lace chart, knit to end, remove m, k1, pm for new beg of rnd. Work Rows 11–19 of the Aran Lace chart. Next rnd: Work Row 20 of the Aran Lace chart, knit to 1st before end, sl st to RH needle, remove beg-of-rnd m, sl st back to LH needle, pm for new beg of rnd. Work Rows 1–18 of the Aran Lace chart once more as established. Work 5 rnds in seed st. BO all sts loosely in patt. **Finishing** Weave in loose ends. Block to finished measurements.
Step 3
This project was excerpted with permission from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/163250068X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=163250068X&linkCode=as2&tag=craftfocom-20&linkId=MZURYKI6ZCIA6NXU">Refined Knits: Sophisticated Lace, Cable, and Aran Lace Knitwear</a>.