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YOU GUYS!!! I’ve heard people say that once you start working with hand-dyed yarns (you know, the fancy expensive ones in your local yarn stores?) that you never want to quit them. And it’s TRUE. The Nikki Lace Cowl is an unassuming piece that is made absolutely stunning by using a “fancy” yarn.

The black/white/speckle sample above is made from Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, which is an 80/20 Superwash Wool and Nylon blend. When I made this and started wearing it, I couldn’t take it off. But then…

As much as I loved my Lorna’s Laces piece, I knew a solid or semi-solid yarn would photograph better with the lace detail. I had an extra skein of Handmade Home Fibers I got for Christmas, in the color Audrey’s Shoes, and it’s the perfect yarn. I used their Plain Old Sock base, which is a 75/25 Merino Wool and Nylon blend, and it’s everything I want a yarn to be.

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Keep scrolling for the FREE version of the Nikki Lace Cowl, or find a printer-friendly PDF version on Ravelry and Etsy. 

I made this cowl for one of my daughter’s preschool teachers for Christmas last year, and immediately I knew it needed to be a written pattern! While writing my notes and working up new samples, I called it the “Nikki” cowl because that was the teacher’s name and it was easy to remember what cowl I was referring to. When it came time to name the actual pattern, I was stumped for a better name, so I just kept it!

This beginner friendly cowl works up quickly and is a great one-skein project for those special hand dyed skeins you have lying around, and don’t want to turn into socks. It’s warm, but lightweight when worked up in a wool-blend fingering weight yarn. It would be so easy to work this up in a heavier weight yarn, too, for something warmer – just adjust your needle size to your yarn and adjust your cast on number. This is a great pattern for both variegated and solid yarns.

I hope you love this cowl as much as I do – I wear mine all the time and it’s my new favorite!

Don’t get scared off from making this because it’s spring and it’s warming up! If you choose a yarn like Handmade Home Fibers, you’re getting a wool blend. Did you know wool helps regulate your body temp? It does! So, the Nikki Lace Cowl is warm enough to stave off the morning and evening chills, but not so warm you can’t wear it as an accent piece throughout the spring days.

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NIKKI LACE COWL

FINISHED SIZE: 47″ around x 10″ tall

GAUGE: 4 inches = 22 stitches, 32 rows stockinette

MATERIALS:

• 1 skein fingering weight yarn. Samples used Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock 80/20 Superwash Merino and Nylon blend, 430 yards to 100g; and Handmade Home Fibers Plain Old Sock 75/25 Merino Wool and Nylon blend, 463 yards to 100g.
• US 10/6.00 mm needles
• Scissors
• Yarn needle

ABBREVIATIONS:

• BO = bind off
• CO = cast on
• k2tog = knit 2 together
• pm = place marker
• st(s) = stitch(es)

NOTES

DIRECTIONS

CO 220 sts, pm, join in the round without twisting.

Round 1 – Knit all sts.

Round 2 – Purl all sts.

Rounds 3-8 – Repeat rounds 1 & 2.

Rounds 9-13 – Knit all sts.

Round 14 – *YO, k2tog* to end of round.

Rounds 15-19 – Knit all sts.

Round 20 – *k2tog, YO* to end of round.

Rounds 21-25 – Knit all sts.

Round 26 – *YO, k2tog* to end of round.

Rounds 27-36 – Knit all sts. (10)

Round 37 – *k2tog, YO* to end of round.

Rounds 38-42 – Knit all sts.

Round 43 – *YO, k2tog* to end of round.

Rounds 44-48 – Knit all sts.

Round 49 – *k2tog, YO* to end of round.

Rounds 50-59 – Knit all sts. (10)

Round 60 – *YO, k2tog* to end of round.

Rounds 61-65 – Knit all sts.

Round 66 – *k2tog, YO* to end of round.

Rounds 67-71 – Knit all sts.

Round 72 – *YO, k2tog* to end of round.

Rounds 73-77 – Knit all sts.

Round 78 – Purl all sts.

Round 79 – Knit all sts.

Rounds 80-85 – Repeat rounds 78 & 79.

FINISHING

BO, fasten and weave in ends.

Block lightly to open up the lace eyelets and uncurl the garter stitch edges.

I love to see your finished projects, so be sure to use #nikkilacecowl when you post your photos on social media!

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