Challenge #2 for Iron Craft ’13 was to make something using the orange, either the color or the fruit. I really struggled with this challenge, which is funny as I’m the one who posed it. I had plans to make pillar candles with dried oranges embedded in the sides, but that ended up being a little more of a challenge than I was up for. Next, I thought I’d make a color blocked sweater by taking two sweaters apart and resewing them. Of course, I couldn’t find the right two sweaters to take apart. So, I ended up going to my old stand-by, knitting. I kept with my color blocking idea and came up with this cowl.

I love the way the pop of orange looks against the grey. It’s like a bit of sunshine on a grey winter day. It’s also a great way to put a little of the bright orange that is so popular right now into your wardrobe. (By the way, it’s really hard to find a good orange yarn, they are all either too coral or too gold.)

I made this cowl to keep me warm, so it is just long enough to loop twice and fit over my head. I didn’t want it to drape like a decorative scarf. You, of course, can make it longer if that is the look you are going for. I played with textured a bit on this cowl too. The orange slice is knit first in a k1, p1 ribbing, then stitches are picked up from the side of that orange piece with the grey yarn and knit in seed stitch. Despite the fact you are using a bulky weight yarn, the results are not overly bulky.

Orange Slice Cowl

Download a copy of the Orange Slice Cowl Pattern.

Supplies:

• Lion Brand Hometown USA Syracuse Orange (or other super bulky weight yarn), small amount
• Lion Brand Jiffy Dark Grey Heather (or other bulky weight yarn), 1 ball
• Size 11 needles (8mm)
• Size 8 needles (5mm)
• Large eye tapestry needle

Gauge: 3 stitches and 5 rows per inch (bulky yarn in moss stitch on the size 8 needles)

Required Skills:

• knitting and purling
• picking up stitches
• seaming

Abbreviations:

• k – knit
• p – purl
• ws- wrong side
• rs – right side

With the orange yarn and size 11 needles, cast on 9 stitches.
Row 1 (ws): (p1, k1)4x, p1
Row 2 (rs): (k1, p1)4x, k1
Repeat rows 1 and 2 four more times
Repeat row 1 one more time
Bind off.

With the grey yarn, pick up and knit 12 stitches along one side of the orange piece. (Along a side not the top or bottom). Work these stitches in seed stitch.
Row 1 (ws): (k1, p1)6 times
Row 2 (rs): (p1, k1)6 times
Repeat rows 1 and 2 for desired length. My cowl is 45″ total, 3 inches of orange and 42″ of grey.

Bind off the grey and seam to the other side of the orange slice. Weave in ends. Block if desired.

Copyright 2013 Kathy Lewinski JustCraftEnough.com
For personal use only. Please do not duplicate for distribution, sell or teach this pattern without permission.