Whether you’re knitting needles still have the price tag on them or you’re a seasoned pro looking for a relaxing project, you’ve come to the right place. In today’s free knitting pattern round-up, we’re diving into the wonderful world of easy cowl knitting patterns – the perfect blend of simplicity and style that caters to knitters of all experience levels.
For the beginners among us, fear not! We understand that starting a new craft can be a tad intimidating, but with these easy knitting projects, you’ll discover the joy of creating beautiful accessories without feeling overwhelmed. We’ve curated a selection of patterns that are not only visually appealing but also designed to boost your confidence and knitting skills. Get ready to witness your creations evolve from basic stitches to stunning, wearable art.
Now, to our seasoned knitting friends who crave a therapeutic project – do a happy dance! Our collection of simple knit cowl patterns are excellent projects tailored to provide a soothing, enjoyable knitting experience. These patterns offer the perfect balance of simplicity and sophistication, allowing you to unwind and revel in the joy of creating something beautiful. They also just so happen to be perfect for a bit of TV knitting so you can catch up on your latest streaming obsession!
So, why choose easy cowl knitting patterns over designs for traditional scarves? Well, we’ve got a couple compelling reasons. Firstly, cowls have no loose ends to worry about. They’re hassle-free and perfect for those on-the-go moments when you don’t want to have to worry about your scarf falling off. Secondly, they usually require less yarn so you can finish them more quickly and with less of a dent to your wallet.
Easy to style and effortlessly chic, cowls add a touch of flair to any outfit without the fuss. Join us on this knitting journey where creativity meets comfort, and where beginners and experienced knitters alike can find inspiration and encouragement. Let’s knit our way to coziness and style with these easy cowl knitting patterns that make the art of knitting truly accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Candy Stripe Cowl
A simple split hem instantly upgrades a basic cowl design into a fashion statement. There’s just something about this little trick that makes the cowl sit more nicely around the neck and shoulders. This design alternates between two different colors of self striping yarn for a riot of colors. It is knit flat in garter stitch and then partially seamed.
Designer: Purl Soho
Yarn: Purl Soho Novella (Sport Weight #2)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Honey Cowl
Knit, purl, and slip stitches create a dense honeycomb-like texture in this gorgeous cowl. The stitch pattern produces a warm fabric that still retains plenty of drape. There are four versions of this design to choose from. Decide between short and long as well as thin and wide. You’ll need one or two skeins of yarn depending on your choices.
Designer: Antonia Shankland
Yarn: madelinetosh Tosh DK (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Simply Scrappy Cowl
The addition of yarn overs and knit 2 togethers add pretty rows of eyelets into a sea of stockinette stitch in this colorful striped design. Either end of the cowl is made with twisted rib stitch, although you could easily substitute with regular rib stitch if you’d prefer. It is designed for using up mini skeins of yarn but it would also work wonders with your scraps basket.
Designer: Curious Handmade
Yarn: Fingering Weight #1
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Time After Time Cowl
Super bulky weight yarn makes short work of this chunky cowl and it makes it easier to see your stitches too. The pattern uses a simple slip stitch rib to dazzling effect. I especially love the trendy use of the color block design and the high contrast between the bright yellow and the pastel rainbow shades.
Designer: Elizabeth Smith Knits
Yarn: Hedgehog Fibres Super Bulky (Super Bulky Weight #6)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Near + Dear Cowl
Sometimes if a cowl is too loose or large it rather loses it’s effectiveness at keeping your neck warm. This design is just wide enough to get around your noggin and not so tight as to feel like it’s choking you. It’s oh so cozy and cute and the best part is that it’s dead simple to make using a basic 5×1 rib stitch.
Designer: Purl Soho
Yarn: Purl Soho Nigh DK (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Mosaic Dot Scarf
If you haven’t dipped your toes into the waters of knit colorwork before, then you might be intimidating by a 2 color design such as this one. Lucky for you, the mosaic colorwork technique is much easier than most as you only have to work with one color at a time. All you need to know is how to knit, purl, and slip stitches.
Designer: Maker Maker Store
Yarn: Ochre Yarns 306 Merino Yak Silk (Worsted Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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An Italian Autumn Cowl
Garter stitch never looked so good as in this double wrapped cowl design. Dotted with easy yarn over eyelets, the texture of the garter stitch takes on a whole new look. The pattern is worked double stranded using a fingering weight yarn or you may substitute a single strand of a DK weight yarn. Who knew that easy cowl knitting patterns could look so good?
Designer: An Italian Knitter
Yarn: Filcolana Arwetta (Fingering Weight #1)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Flying Solo
You’ll get plenty of practice with your 1×1 rib stitch both in rows and in the round when you whip up this enchanting ombre design. You’ll be using two strands of yarn at once and changing only one strand color at a time to achieve that coveted gradual color fade. A split hem adds a touch of elegance and makes the cowl sit more nicely around the neck and shoulders.
Designer: Espace Tricot
Yarn: ArtFil Solo (Fingering Weight #1)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Oats
This basic cowl design is a marriage of both stockinette and garter stitch. It also has generous sections of ribbing on either end. It can be made shorter to wrap around the neck once (like the yellow one pictured above) or longer to wrap twice (like the blue). This is a very detailed design that is specifically geared towards beginner knitters.
Designer: Tin Can Knits
Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label (Aran Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Bay City Cowl
Stockinette tends to steal the spotlight when it comes to basic knitting stitches, but now it’s garter stitch’s time to shine. The design turns up the texture with a super bulky yarn that imparts plenty of stitch definition. It is worked partially in rows and partially in the round. I adore the color block aspect and it’s a great way to use up 2 different colored skeins of yarn.
Designer: Michael Vloedman
Yarn: Blue Sky Fibers Woolstok North (Super Bulky)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Duotone Cowl
Simple stockinette stitch can get a bit tedious after a while so why not add in some stripes for interest? This design also has you switch up the stripes part way through for a fun little twist. It is knit as one long tube that is then grafted together at the ends. That means you get to have a nice smooth stockinette stitch fabric without having to do any purl stitches!
Designer: Orange Flower Yarn
Yarn: DK Weight #3
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Marled Alaska Cowl
Using two slightly differed shades of yarn held together yields a beautifully subtle marled coloration like the one shown. This is such an easy way to add some interest and dimension into your next knitting project. Further contrast is added through the use of the broken rib stitch.
Designer: Sun Daughter
Yarn: Bad Sheep Yarn Basic Sock Fingering (Fingering Weight #1)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Simple Colorwork Cowl
If visions of fair isle have been dancing in your head but you’ve been too intimidated to try it out, then this might be your chance. Try out stranded colorwork on a smaller scale and with only 2 colors to juggle. The pattern of the color changes is an easy checkerboard so you won’t have to worry about reading a graph or anything.
Designer: Churchmouse Yarns and Teas
Yarn: Brooklyn Tweed Shelter (Worsted Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Rise and Shine Cowl
Super bulky weight yarn really amps up the stitch definition in the next one of our easy cowl knitting patterns. It’s like looking at slip stitch rib through a microscope. The simple stitch pattern takes a back seat so that the yarn can be the real star of the show, so choose a yarn color that you really like and would love to wear.
Designer: Sarah E. Chapman
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Franca (Super Bulky Weight #6)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Straightforward Cowl
I’m personally a big fan of easy cowl knitting patterns that have a point in the front like a bandana. Some of these designs can get a bit complicated, though, with increasing and shaping. This clever creation is simply a garter stitch rectangle with one short end seamed along one of the long sides. Genius!
Designer: The Busiest Bee
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted (Worsted Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Bulky Dotty Cowl
A field of smooth stockinette stitches is dotted with nubby purls in this delightful dot stitch design. Bulky weight yarn adds some nice stitch definition and it makes it easier to see your stitches too. This is nice relaxing project with an easy to remember four row repeat (and two of those four rows are simply: “knit around”).
Designer: All About Ami
Yarn: Lion Brand Hue + Me (Bulky Weight #5)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Cowl Lily
What beautiful textured knitting stitch do I see before me? It looks quite complex but it’s really all just knit and purl stitches. The combination of this stitch’s texture with the bulky weight yarn makes the most heavenly squishy and warm fabric. It’s like wearing a cloud!
Designer: Through the Stitch
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande (Bulky Weight #5)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Cupido Cowl
The next one of our easy cowl knitting patterns might look difficult at first glance but it couldn’t be simpler. All you need to know is how to knit, purl, and slip stitch. This cowl design fits a little more loosely around the neck but it’s generous length leaves plenty of excess fabric to make that signature scrunch.
Designer: Please Don’t Eat the Daisies
Yarn: Rowan Kid Classic (Aran Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Bonspiel
An extra long cowl can be pulled up over the nose and mouth for an added layer of protection against super cold winds. I’m a sucker for a solid black accessory because I know that it’s going to match my outfit no matter what I thrown on that day. These are two excellent reasons to cast on this double stranded shaker rib stitch cowl today!
Designer: The Lamb & Kid Designs
Yarn: Dimond Laine Percy (DK Weight #4)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Yellow Brick Cowl
A warm and sunny yellow shade will add some much needed color to the dreariest of cold winter days. This design is mostly stockinette stitch but there is also a garter stitch section on the top half of the cowl which helps to narrow the tube slightly for a better fit. Did you know that garter stitch typically works out to be a little smaller of a gauge than stockinette?
Designer: Simone Bechtold for Knitty
Yarn: Frida Fuchs Steppke Single (Fingering Weight #1)
Frida Fuchs Fiffi Lace (Lace Weight #0)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Champagne Cowl
Easy cowl knitting patterns that are long like this one can be wrapped twice around the neck for double the warmth. Also called an infinity scarf cowl, this trendy accessory is a must-make for your closet. This particular design is completely reversible and it is made with just knit stitches and purl stitches. I absolutely adore the texture!
Designer: Expression Fiber Arts
Yarn: Expression Fiber Arts Dewy DK (DK Weight #3)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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On the C Train Cowl
Here’s another long and simple cowl that can be worn doubled up as shown. This particular pattern is wide enough to cover the neck and shoulders if worn without doubling it up. Talk about versatility! It is made in a super simple 1×1 rib stitch making it a great beginner knitting pattern.
Designer: Espace Tricot
Yarn: Shibui Knits Silk Cloud (Aran Weight #4)
Click here for the free and easy cowl pattern!
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Sixes and Threes Cowl
Solids and stripes go together like peanut butter and jelly in this modern, cozy cowl design. Add in a color block aspect and a trendy gray and moss green palette and you’ve got yourself a recipe for stylish success. The pattern is knit as one long stockinette stitch tube on circular needles or straight needles and then you graft the two ends together.
Designer: Very Pink
Yarn: Louet Gems Fingering Weight (Fingering Weight #1)
Click here for the free knitting pattern!
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Cecelia Cowl
You can get the multicolor look without having to actually change colors or do any colorwork if you select a self-striping yarn like the recommended yarn in the beautiful cowl shown above. Using just knit and purl stitches you’ll make a textured fabric that has pleasing diagonal lines. Super bulky weight yarn makes it extra thick and cozy for maximum warmth and a super quick knit if you’re looking for a last-minute gift.
Designer: Loop London
Yarn: Freia Handpaint Yarns Ombré Super Bulky (Super Bulky Weight #6)
Click here for the easy pattern!
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Albany Alpaca Cowl
Even the simplest cowl patterns can look stunning with the right design. This pattern uses just stockinette stitch in the round and yet it’s totally eye-catching with its primary color palette and naturally curled edges. A yarn weight that’s on the thin side helps the cowl to retain plenty of drape and would be perfect for cool nights.
Designer: Jane Veitenheimer
Yarn: Blue Sky Fibers Baby Alpaca (Sport Weight #2)
Click here for the free and easy knitting pattern!
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Final Thoughts on Easy Cowl Knitting Patterns
Creating beautiful, cozy cowls has never been more accessible, thanks to these easy cowl knitting patterns that cater to every skill level. Each of these easy knit cowl patterns has an easy stitch pattern making them a great choice for a knitted cowl for the colder months or even for the warmer months for the lighter weight designs. We hope you found a knit project here you can’t wait to get started on!
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I’ll see you next week for another free knitting pattern round-up. Make sure to follow the blog so you never miss a post. <3
Happy Knitting!
