Chunky Ribbed Cowl & How to Knit Rib Stitch

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

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

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.