10 Best Free Cowl Knitting Patterns
Cowls are one of my favorite knitting projects because:
They are seamless - no sewing, yay!
Knitted in-the-round on circular needles
Don’t have shaping or sizing (they fit EVERY body)
Only require a few skeins of yarn - great for trying out a luxury fiber!
Perfect for beginners or advanced beginners
Good way to try new stitches or techniques
In this blog post, I rounded up the ten best FREE cowl knitting patterns from across the internet.
You’ll find several easy/beginner projects as well as quick-knits on bulky weight yarns.
I also included projects that for fingering-chunky weights so you can knit a cowl with yarns in your stash.
There are some fun to knit techniques in this collection to help push your knitting to the next level with easy-to-digest small projects. Techniques include Fair Isle, slip stitch, cabling, eyelets, and ribbing.
Have fun!
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10 Free Cowl Patterns to Knit
#1. Honey Cowl Free Knitting Pattern
A simple slip stitch pattern cowl by Antonia Shankland. Instructions are written for two different cowl lengths both short and long. Uses. DK weight yarn.
Designed by Antonia Shankland
Get KnitPicks Swish DK Yarn for this project
#2. Wolkig Cowl Free Knitting Pattern
Cowl are easy to wear, they will not fly off in a brisk wind, and they keep you warm. The Wolkig cowl is twisted and has extra volume due to strategically worked decreases and increases, so it can be stretched a little to fit comfortably over your head when putting it on. Stretched in the other direction (lengthwise), it will fit snugly around your neck without leaving any gaps where the cold wind might sneak in. Use only one skein of a luxurious merino-silk-blend (choose a multicolor for extra fun!), and watch the fascinating spirals grow under your hands.
The best thing is this: Wolkig (named after the German word for “cloudy”) has only one line of pattern. Take it out to knit night, on the bus, to the movies, everywhere – it is so easy that you will not need to take the pattern with you. Chatting to your friends or watching a fun flick will not mess this project up.
If you feel like it, you can use more yarn and work the cowl longer, so it doubles as a very cozy, cloudy tube scarf. Uses light fingering weight yarn.
Designed by Martina Behm
Get Manos Fino Yarn for this project
#3. Free For All Cowl Knitting Pattern
The FREE FOR ALL cowl is designed to make the most of worsted weight yarn (200-225 yards) or one skein of fingering weight yarn (400-463 yards, held double). It features an intuitive textured stripe pattern, knit-on I-cord edge for structure and a cozy, throw-on-and-go style. This cowl begins with a provisional cast on and uses Kitchener Stitch to join for a smooth, invisible finish.
Designed by Jen Peck
2 skeins KnitPicks Capretta Superwash Fingering Yarn for this project OR
2 skeins KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Superwahs Worsted Yarn for this project
#4. Getting Warmer Cowl Free Knitting Pattern
Simple and stylish, GETTING WARMER is a light and cozy cowl worked from the bottom up, transitioning from easy 2×2 rib to garter stitch in the round with regular decreases. It can be pulled down over one or both shoulders and the neck will remain snug and close without gaping.
Uses bulky weight yarn.
Designed by Espace Tricot
Get Berroco Catena Yarn for this project
#5. Red Rasta Cowl Free Knitting Pattern
We originally knit up this quick and simple cowl as a way to show off Malabrigo Rasta, one of our favourite yarns. It sure did its job. Malabrigo Rasta has been flying off our shelves almost since we opened, and we frequently get requests for simple cowl patterns that show off the gorgeous kettel-dyed colourways and knit up quickly. So, here you go! This is our go-to, most recommended, absolute favourite. It’s suitable for beginners and quick and enjoyable for more advanced knitters, and in a season when there always seems to be a last-minute gift to produce, it never hurts to have an easy, stylish, and speedy project in your back pocket.
Get KnitPicks Tuff Puff Yarn for this project
#6. Sheep Cowl Free Knitting Pattern
This cowl was designed for our LYS to wear to Rhinebeck. Last year we all wore the Baa-ble Hat so we opted for a cowl to compliment the hat. After many tries and tweaks this variation was born. The chart is simple and big making it a perfect first color work project.
Designed by Deb Jacullo
Get Berroco Vintage Yarn for this project
#7. Cold Front Cowl Free Knitting Pattern
Baby, it’s cold outside. Or at least it will be before you know it! Warm up with the Cold Front Cowl. This bouncy 2-skein cowl fits perfectly under a cozy jacket and you’ll find yourself wearing it all winter long. It’s a free knitting pattern so grab your needles and give it a try!
Designed by Heather Walpole
2 skeins Ewe Ewe Wooly Worsted Yarn for this project
#8. Autopilot Cowl Free Knitting Pattern
This cowl was created for a simple project that is just about enjoying the yarn and doing some relaxed knitting. Like the name suggests, it can be made on autopilot so a great project for knitting on the bus, train, or at a knit night.
Uses worsted weight yarn.
Designed by Dominique Trad
Get Malibrigo Rios Yarn for this project
#9. Oats Unisex Cowl Free Knitting Pattern
Oats is a an easy to knit project that is suitable for men or women. It’s knitted in the round on circular needles and includes options for long or short version. Uses heavy worsted/aran weight yarn.
Get Knit Picks Simply Alpaca Aran Yarn for this project
#10. Josie Cowl Free Knitting Pattern
Josie is a cabled capelet worked from the bottom up. Berroco Tuscan Tweed is an ideal choice for cables—the smooth worsted weight yarn has just a hint of colors to add unexpected depth to squishy cable fabric!
