• 0 items$0.00
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

  • BLOG
    • Knitting
    • Crochet
    • Latch Hook
    • Macramé
  • ABOUT
  • Shop
  • Studio
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Chunky Ribbed Cowl & How to Knit Rib Stitch

March 16, 2015 1 Comment

Chunky Ribbed Cowl - Click through for the free knitting pattern!

Spring has almost sprung, but that doesn’t mean cowl weather has left us just yet. Knit yourself a quick and easy chunky cowl to help keep a stiff spring breeze off your neck with this beginner friendly Chunky Ribbed Cowl Pattern.

Chunky Ribbed Cowl Pattern

This easy pattern uses thick yarn with optional striping for a versatile wardrobe staple. The ribbing of this cowl gives it a lot of structure so it will stay in place and close to the neck on chilly days. Doubling over the cowl is reminiscent of a chunky turtleneck, which is where its versatility becomes apparent – despite my personally bright color choice for the cowl pictured.

Skills
How to do a basic knitting cast on
How to do a knit stitch
How to purl
How to bind off
How to knit rib stitch (see the bottom of this post for a tutorial)
How to read yarn labels (to help selecting a different yarn than the one listed here)

Abbreviations
CO – cast on
k – knit
p – purl
sts – stitches
BO – bind off
MC – main color (pictured: pink)
CC – contrasting color (pictured: green)

Supplies
1 pair size 11 US knitting needles
2 skeins Patons Classic Wool Bulky yarn in Deep Blush
1 skein Patons Classic Wool Bulky yarn in Spring Green
tapestry needle for sewing cowl & weaving in ends
scissors

Chunky Ribbed Cowl - Click through for the free knitting pattern!

CO 72 sts
1-7. Using MC, k2, p2 (7 rows)
8-9. Using CC, k2, p2
10-14. Using MC, k2, p2 (5 rows)
15-16. Using CC, k2, p2
17-19. Using MC, k2, p2 (3 rows)
20-21. Using CC, k2, p2
22-26. Using MC, k2, p2 (5 rows)
27-28. Using CC, k2, p2
29-35. Using MC, k2, p2 (7 rows)

BO all sts, break yarn, draw tail through last loop to secure. Sew long ends together, forming a circle shape. Weave in all ends to finish.

Beginner pattern variation

Instead of alternating colors, simply work k2, p2 every row in one color.

More advanced pattern variation

Join yarn into a loop after CO and knit the pattern in the round. Since the number of CO sts is divisible by 4, there is no alternative pattern needed for rows 1-35 of this pattern to work in the round. This may or may not be how I knit this piece myself. I don’t love seaming – why seam when you can knit? ;)

PS: This might be obvious, but I don’t want to leave myself open to “WTH, this cowl is SO long!” without saying anything about it. You fold the finished cowl in half to wear it. Just so y’know.

How to knit rib stitch How to Knit Rib Stitch

If you’re a new knitter, you’ll need to learn how to knit the classic rib stitch for this pattern (and many other patterns). You’ll often find rib stitching on the cuffs and hems of sweaters, the edges of hats, and more. Ribbed knitting is great for its elasticity, which is why it makes a great edging for clothing because you can achieve a flexible fit without having to decrease or increase the number of stitches in your work.

How to knit rib stitch

Knewbies/Knitting 101: How to knit rib stitch

How to knit 2 over 2 rib stitch

Filed Under: Free Patterns, Knitting, Knitting & Crochet, Knitting 101 Tagged With: beginner cowl, chunky ribbed scarf, free pattern, how to knit, knewbies, knit a cowl, knitting 101, rib stitch

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is an artist, author and crafts designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame. In addition to running the Hands Occupied Blog and Pattern Shop, you can find her making videos & co-hosting the Very Serious Crafts podcast.

Previous Post: « Picks of the Week
Next Post: Things to Knit »

Reader Interactions

DID YOU LIKE THIS POST?
Visit similar articles...

  • Knewbies | How to PurlKnewbies | How to Purl
  • Newbie Fringe Scarf PatternNewbie Fringe Scarf Pattern
  • Knewbies | How to Read Yarn LabelsKnewbies | How to Read Yarn Labels
  • Knewbies | How to knitKnewbies | How to knit

DON’T MISS ANOTHER UPDATE

Comments

  1. Julie

    March 16, 2015 at 3:59 pm

    such a cute cowl! What an awesome project to help learn knitting skills.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

work with heidi

UPDATES BY EMAIL

Get a free pattern + biweekly updates sent to your inbox.

Let’s be friends!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Latch Hook by Heidi Gustad

Footer

INSTAGRAM

handsoccupied

Craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. / #latchhookbook out now!
.
knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s ab There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s about how I’m going to take the next 2 weeks off to rest & recharge. ☺️🧶 No new content for y’all means I can also take a moment to zoom out & plan what’s next. Link is in bio. 
.
.
A note on Very Serious Crafts: In the post I discuss stepping away from the @seriouscrafts podcast to give myself more time to devote to some minor medical issues. Don’t you worry - my health will be fine, & @molliejohanson @redhandledscissors and I are still pals, and after a short break of their own, the podcast will be back! Just sans moi. 💁🏼‍♀️😆 
.
.
See you in a couple weeks! ✌🏻#handsoccupied #knitdesign #craftdesign #sofadedsweater
Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it shoul Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it should be. ☺️🎄The past few days have been filled with a lot of catching up on festive zoom calls & raising toasts to the camera. 🥂 Connecting with people has been a welcome change of pace! Now I’m feeling ready to meet my inevitable end-of-year deadlines. 😆
.
.
Warmest wishes for the season, my friends! ❤️💛💙
Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker beh Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker behind Hands Occupied! 👋🏻 I’ve been enjoying making Reels a lot lately, but I wanted to bop in to share a regular photo & say hello. 🤓 
.
.
rather than giving you my bio right now, I have a question. I just got this new sweater & I can’t stop imaging how funny it would be to wear this to a knitting class ... is that bad? 🤣🤣🤣
.
.
Pictured: a blond woman with glasses wearing a sweater that reads “all your sweaters are ugly” standing in front of a Christmas tree.
Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is o Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is one of the most common methods for finishing a knitting project and helping ensure its final size and shape. Learn basic blocking for absolute beginners in an easy-to-follow (non-Reel!) video tutorial! Catch the tutorial on YouTube or the Hands Occupied Blog, link is in bio. 🧶 #handsoccupied #stopswatchandblockit #KPAmbassadorsDec20 #sponsored
Had to share this perfect capture of one of my fav Had to share this perfect capture of one of my favorite weird homemade Christmas ornaments: a simple macramé Santa face with beads for the eyes and nose! My Great-Grandma made it too. 🎄
.
Might have to try making a quickie Reel tutorial for this guy - I think it’s the perfect project for it, don’t you? 🎅🏼 #handsoccupied #macrame
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2021 / Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework / Branding by Ink + Mortar
All Site & Shop Policies / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy