The Tulpa cowl was inspired by the hand spun yarn the cowl pictured is made in. It can, of course, also be worked in another fingering or light fingering weight yarn. Whatever you choose: This is bound to be an entertaining knit with a stunning result!
This pattern contains instructions for 3 sizes. The Tulpa cowl is seamless and knitted in the round. The instructions for the patterning are provided both charted and written out.
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Difficulty level
Tulpa is seamless and worked in the round from the bottom up. Stitches used include knit, purl, k2tog, skp, twisted stitches, yo, as well as centered, left-leaning, and right-leaning double decreases. This pattern is suitable for the intermediate knitter.
Sizes and finished measurements
Finished size S (M, L): 70.5 (84.5, 98.5) cm / 27 ¾ (33 ¼, 38 ¾) inches circumference and 38.5 cm / 15 ¼ inches high. The sample shown is in size M.
The size can further be adjusted by changing the number of cast-on stitches to any multiple of 26.
Pattern details
Tulpa is written for a gauge of 18.5 sts / 32.2 rounds = 10 cm (4 inches) over pattern after washing and gentle blocking.
Pattern language included: English.
Digital PDF has 5 pages (letter size).
Yarn
316 (375, 440) m (346 (411, 481) yds) / 59 (70, 82) g 2-ply hand spun yarn [50% wool, 50% silk; 531 m (581 yds) / 99 g], with a WPI of 15.
Substitute any fingering or light fingering weight wool/silk blend gradient yarn for a similar result.
Materials
For the sample cowl in size M, a 4 mm (US 6) circular needle was used, 60 cm (24 inches) length suggested. Choose a needle size to match gauge and a length appropriate for the chosen size.
Yarn needle.
1 end-of-round stitch marker.
5 (6, 7) stitch markers to separate repeats of the patterning (optional).
The tubular cast on creates a rounded edge of your knitting project, as well as being very stretchy. This makes it a very good cast on for edges that are prone to wear and tear. And, of course, where the stretch is useful. Think, for example, of top-down socks, and the start of a bottom-up hat. In this example I’m casting on for a top-down sweater.
Of course, there are many ways to work a tubular cast on. This particular version is for working in the round in k1, p1 rib patterning.
Materials used
Yarn: Shetland Lambswool from De Schapekop, a yarn very similar to Jamieson & Smith 2ply Jumper Weight, and no. 5 crochet thread or other smooth waste yarn.
Needles: KnitPro Zing Fixed Circular Needles. In this tutorial, I used the 2.5 mm (US 1 1/2) and the 3.5 mm (US 4) size. Both with a cable length of 80 cm (32 inches).
Other materials: a crochet hook, and a stitch marker.
Working a tubular CO in the round for 1×1 rib step by step
First, using the larger size needles, the smooth waste yarn and the provisional cast on of your choice, cast on half as many stitches as you need according to your pattern.
Now, using the smaller size needle and the working yarn, work (k1, yo) across all provisionally cast on stitches.
After this row is finished, as shown below, it’s time to join into the round.
The last worked stitch is a yarn over, so make sure it stays intact when joining into the round.
Here I’ve rearranged my stitches to continue knitting in the round, magic loop style.
Before joining, I made sure that my stitches weren’t twisted, and I’ve added the stitch marker to indicate the beginning (and end) of a round. Also, do you see that the yarn over is still there, behind the stitch marker?
In this step, work (knit 1, slip 1 purl wise with the yarn in front) to the end of the round.
In other words: knit every stitch that was knit in the previous round, and slip every yarn over. Below, is how it looks after this round is completed.
Next, work (slip 1 purl wise with the yarn in the back, purl 1) to the end of the round.
In other words: slip every stitch that was knit in the previous round, and purl every stitch that was slipped. This is how it then looks:
In this step, work (knit 1, slip 1 purl wise with the yarn in front) to the end of the round.
In other words: knit every stitch that was slipped in the previous round, and slip every stitch that was purled.
Now we repeat step 6: work (slip 1 purl wise with the yarn in the back, purl 1) to the end of the round.
In other words: slip every stitch that was knit in the previous round, and purl every stitch that was slipped.
In this step, it’s time to unravel the provisional cast on
Starting at the end that you indicated when doing the provisional cast on, undo the knot and gently pull the cast on loose.
This is the cast-on result, ready for further knitting (k1, p1) rib in the round (using magic loop) as described in your pattern!
A comparison
I thought it would be useful to compare the tubular cast on with a regular knitted on cast on one. So, I continued the piece above with another few rounds in (k1, p1) rib until it measured 1.5 cm / 0.6″.
Now take a look at the following picture. The lower neckband has a regular knitted-on cast on, followed by 1×1 rib for 1.5 cm / 0.6″. The one at the top has the tubular cast on in the round with 1×1 rib. Both pieces are worked in the same yarn, and with the same needle size.
I think the neckband with the tubular cast on looks much better, with its rounded edge. It is also much less likely to give issues with wear & tear, because there are no single strands of yarn right at that edge. What do you think?
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
Most of my projects are about knitting lace, not cables. The reason? I find that with cabling, my flow is very much interrupted. First by getting the cable needle. Next, by manipulating all three needles I have in my hands at that moment while working the stitches. Followed by laying the cable needle aside again. All of this to repeated multiple times in a row, depending on the patterning, of course.
For complex cables, I see no way around using a cable needle. For the simple twists only involving 2 stitches, it’s another matter, though! Cabling itself is nothing more than working in another order than the one they originally appeared on the knitting needle. So, if we’re talking about simple twists only involving 2 stitches, we can easily change the order around without using a cable needle. And, of course, without having a big risk of dropping a stitch.
Needles: Addi Fixed Circular Needles. In this tutorial, I used the 4.5 mm (US 7) size with a cable length of 80 cm (32 inches).
Cabling without a cable needle step by step
In this example, I’m working on my Mossy Cables shawl that involves various types of cables. The ones that can easily be done without a cable needle, are the following ones: 1/1 LPC – a left cross cable over 2 stitches: Slip next stitch to cable needle and place at front of work, p1, then k1 from cable needle. 1/1 RPC – right cross cable over 2 stitches: Slip next stitch to cable needle and place at back of work, k1, then p1 from cable needle.
To start, we knit to the point where a cable has to be worked.
See those 2 stitches on the left-hand needle? I want to reverse the order of that purl and knit stitch, to make it seem that the column of knit stitches curves outwards from the center cable. To do so, I want the knit stitch to cross in front and to the right of the purl stitch. In other words: I’ll be working a 1/1 RPC or right cross cable.
To start, I grab the work directly below the 2 stitches, as shown in the picture below.
This way, I can remove them from the knitting needle without having the risk of them running down and ruining my work.
Here I’ve removed the 2 stitches from the needle.
Keep squeezing that fabric, we don’t want to drop one of these stitches!
To change the order of the stitches, I first place the stitch on the right (the purl stitch in this case) back on the needle.
While doing so, keep your fingers underneath the other stitch to keep it from running down. Please note that if I was working a left cross cable instead of a right cross cable, I would have held the remaining loose stitch at the back, instead of at the front of the work as pictured.
Now use the working (right-hand) needle to catch the remaining loose stitch from the front and also put it on the left-hand needle.
For a left cross cable, I would have caught the remaining stitch from the back of the work.
Now the order of the stitches has been changed, ready to work!
This is how it then looks in the case of the right cross cable:
For this right cross cable, I have to work 1 k, followed by 1 p.
This is how it looks when done:
And that’s all there is to cabling without a cable needle!
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The Turkish cast-on is a way to invisibly cast-on for projects to be worked in the round. Think, for example, of toe-up socks. This cast-on can be used for a wide range of projects and not just for socks. It can be used for anything that requires knitting in the round and a neat, seamless start. In other words, for anything you’d use Judy’s Magic Cast-On for, this cast-on is a good alternative. And, to be honest, I find this one to be much easier and less fiddly to work!
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, in the color 128 Lime Green.
Needles: KnitPro Zing Fixed Circular Needles. In this tutorial, I used the 4 mm (US 6) size with a cable length of 80 cm (32 inches).
Working the Turkish cast-on step by step
In this example, I’m casting on 20 stitches, as one would do for toe-up socks.
To start, we make a slipknot, and place it on the needle.
Next, arrange both needle tips as shown in the picture below.
Place both needle tips parallel to each other, with the slipknot-holding needle below the other one, and the working yarn behind and above the top needle.
Now wrap the working yarn around both needles. Make as many wraps as half the total stitches you want to cast-on.
In this example, I want 20 stitches total, so I wrap the yarn 10 times around the needles.
Next, pull out the bottom needle (the one with the slipknot).
It helps to keep the wrapped yarn in place by holding it close to the needle with your left hand.
Now use the pulled-out needle tip as your working (right-hand) needle to knit into the first stitch on the main (left-hand) needle.
To do so, first insert the needle knit-wise into the stitch…
…, and wrap the yarn around the needle.
To finish the knit stitch, pull the yarn through en let the loop fall off the left-hand needle.
This is how it then looks:
Repeat steps 5-7 until there are no more loops on the needle.
This is how it looks:
To work the other 10 stitches that are on the cable, we have to rearrange the circular needle.
First, orient the work in such in a way that the row of stitches with the slipknot is on top, as shown below. Now push the needle in, so they no longer rest on the cable, but on the needle tip instead. For the other row of stitches, pull the needle tip out, so the stitches rest on the cable.
In this step, I’ve slipped the slipknot off the needle, because I don’t need it as a stitch.
Just gently pull the yarn tail to pull the slipknot loose. Next, knit all the stitches on the needle as described in steps 5 to 7.
This is the cast-on result, ready for further knitting in the round (using magic loop) as described in your pattern!
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
This particular bind-off is the one most knitters learn first, and with good reason: it’s a very versatile bind-off that can be used in both knit and purl variations. This makes it my go-to bind-off when a pattern instructs me to bind-off “in pattern”. That said, in this tutorial, I will focus only on the knit variation, to work this in purl, just replace all knits by purls!
But I’m getting ahead of myself. The standard knitted bind-off creates a lovely edge, that is perfect for seaming, picking up stitches or doing “pick up and knit” for further finishing. Think for example of knitting a button band for a cardigan. That said, while this bind-off has some elasticity, it can be hard to get the tension exactly right. It’s not advised to use for edges that need a lot of stretch, like the ribbing of toe-up socks. If you know you’re a tight knitter, it may be a good idea to go up a needle size when doing this bind-off. Likewise, if you’re a very loose knitter, you may want to drop down a size.
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color 125 Spearmint Green.
Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.
The standard knitted bind-off step by step
In patterns, you may see the following instruction for this bind-off: K1, *k1, insert tip of the left-hand needle into first stitch on the right-hand needle, pass this stitch over the second stitch; repeat from * to end. Below I’ll show you step by step how this looks like in knitting!
To start, take the piece of knitting you want to bind-off.
Next, knit the new stitch nearest to the tip of the left-hand needle.
Insert the tip of the left-hand needle into the second stitch on the right-hand needle….
…., and pass this second stitch over the first one.
You have now bound-off a stitch!
Repeat steps 3-5 until all stitches have been bound-off.
Midway, it will look something like this:
And here also a picture of the resulting edge. Pretty, isn’t it?!
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In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to work the k2tog tbl decrease. The abbreviation stands for “knit 2 stitches together through the back loop”. Basically, it’s the twisted version of the k2tog decrease. However, while the k2tog is a right-leaning decrease, k2tog tbl is a left-leaning decrease. It’s similar in appearance to the skp and ssk decreases.
Knitting the k2tog tbl decrease step by step
First, take your project and work to the spot indicated in your pattern, where the decrease is supposed to be made.
In this case, I’m working a stitch pattern in which I have to work a k2tog tbl directly after a YO, over the 2 stitches near the tip of the left-hand needle.
Next, insert the tip of the right-hand needle into the first 2 stitches at the same time as if to knit through the back loop of these stitches.
This can be a tad hard to get right, I find it helps to pull the fabric down a bit.
Wrap the yarn around the needle…
…, and pull it through the stitches you inserted the right-hand needle in.
To finish the decrease, slip the original stitches of the left-hand needle.
And this is how to work the k2tog tbl decrease!
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
The cable cast-on is a cast-on very similar to the knitted on cast-on. It is worked similarly and creates a clean, and sturdy edge. It is, however, more firm and less stretchy; a very good choice for edges that benefit from that stability and don’t need any stretch. Take for example edges from which stitches are picked up and knit. For this reason, I personally wouldn’t use it for a knitting project that would be blocked heavily. For most other applications, though, it makes a very nice decorative edge. Think for example of edges of non-lace blankets.
This particular method is also great for the beginner knitter because it is basically the knit stitch that is used to cast on. In this post, I’ll show you how to do it!
Materials used
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the color 125 Spearmint Green.
Knitting needles: This is a pair of straights that I picked up at the second-hand store when I started knitting, brand unknown.
The cable cast-on step by step
Make a slip knot and place it on your needle.
This forms the first stitch, make sure to leave enough on the tail of the yarn to weave in later. It is also possible not to use a slip knot and just loop the yarn around the needle for your first stitch, thus avoiding the knot in the corner of your work. For the sake of this tutorial, however, I’m going with the slip knot version.
Take your second needle and insert the tip into the stitch with the needle under your main needle.
Insert at an angle, so your needles cross as pictured.
Hold the crossed needles together, take the yarn connected to your ball and wrap it around the bottom needle: go around, and then over.
Depending on your knitting style, this can be done with either your left or your right hand. The end result is however always the yarn wrapped around the needle as pictured.
Take the bottom needle and bring it back through the stitch, pulling the yarn with it in a loop.
Now transfer the new loop from the bottom needle to the other needle and tighten the yarn.
You have now cast on a stitch!
Take your second needle and insert the tip in between the 2 stitches closest to the tip of the main needle.
In this step, we’re deviating from the knitted-on cast-on.
Wrap the yarn around the needle….
… and pull it through the stitch.
To finish adding the new stitch, place it on the main needle.
Repeat steps 6-9 until you have reached the desired amount of stitches on your needle.
This is how it looks from the RS of the work, after a couple rows have been worked in garter stitch.
And the result from the WS:
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There are cases in which skipping the row on your needle for particular stitches is desired, and one is to knit or purl in the row below that one. In other words: you knit/purl into the stitch below where you normally would, exactly as the name suggests. Think, for example, of Fisherman’s Rib. In a previous tutorial I already showed you how to work the purl 1 below stitch, so now it’s the turn of the knit 1 below! The main challenge in working this stitch is recognizing the stitch to insert your needle in. So that’s what I’ll be showing you in this tutorial on how to work the knit 1 below or k1b stitch.
Materials used
Yarn: * Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the colors 155 Vintage Pink and 125 Spearmint Green.
In patterns, you may encounter the following description of this stitch: Knit 1 below (k1b): Knit into the stitch 1 row below the one on the needle by inserting the needle from front to back. Knit this stitch, then pull the worked stitch and the stitch above off the needle together. But how to actually do this? Read on!
First, work your way across the row until you’ve reached the point where you want to make the stitch
In this case I’m making the k1b4 stitches in from the right edge.
Identify the correct loop to insert your needle in.
Normally, you’d insert the right-hand needle in the loop that’s on the left-hand needle. If we go down a row, you see the stitch we want (pointed out by the extra needle), hugging the loop that’s on the needle.
Now, insert the right-hand needle knit wise in the stitch we’ve identified.
You can see it more easily if you pull down the fabric a bit with your fingers.
Now wrap your working yarn around the needle…
…. and pull it through the stitch.
See that you’re actually pulling it through 2 stitches at once? That is, the one on the needle and the one directly below it.
Finish the stitch by slipping the top stitch off the left-hand needle without actually working it.
Because the fabric is secured by knitting into the stitch below it, the stitch won’t run down unraveling.
And that’s all there is to it!
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
When knitting stripes, especially the thinner ones, it often doesn’t make sense to break the yarn when switching to a different color. It mostly gives you a ton of ends to weave in later on. And personally, I’m just not a fan of extra and unnecessary work. That said, carrying the unused yarn along the side of the fabric has its own disadvantages.
For one, you have to remember to actually wrap the yarn you’re working with around the yarn you’re carrying along, before you go on knitting. Without securing the yarn to the side of the project and moving it up to where you’ll need it next, you’ll have a loose hanging strand on the edge of your work. And if you do remember to wrap the carried-along yarn, you may do it with a different tension than in the knitted fabric. This one is especially hard to judge, because both stitch pattern and yarn composition have a big influence on the tension of knitted fabric after blocking. This may very well result in a too tight or too loose tension at the edge, where it initially seemed to be just right.
In this post I’ll show you how I prevent these issues when carrying along the unused yarn at the side of the work.
Materials used
Yarn: * Paintbox Yarns Simply DK, a good value, good quality 100% acrylic yarn, here in the colors 155 Vintage Pink and 125 Spearmint Green.
Preventing a tight edge when knitting stripes step by step
In this example I’m knitting thin 2-row stripes, but it would work just as well with deeper/wider stripes.
Work to 1 stitch before the end of the row, at which point you’ll be switching to the other color yarn.
This particular technique does assume that the new color of yarn is started and ended at the same side edge of the fabric. This means working an even number of rows in every stripe.
Next, insert your needle into the stitch to work it and wrap both color yarns around the needle.
In this case, the edge is worked in garter stitch, so we’re talking about a knit stitch here. But it can, of course, just as easily be done in a purl stitch.
Now pull both strands of yarn through the stitch on the left-hand needle…
… and slide the original stitch of the needle to complete the stitch.
Now, turn the work and get ready to start the new row in the new color.
To do so, insert your needle into both strands and work it as one using the new color yarn. What you’re basically doing is carrying along the unused yarn by knitting it into the last stitch of the row. This way the unused yarn is incorporated into the main fabric and will behave similarly upon blocking. In other words: no tension differences!
This is how the resulting edge looks.
Yes, the edge will be slightly bulkier than its non-doubled counterpart at the other side edge. But usually it’s not very noticeable.
Overall look
You may wonder how this looks on both the right and wrong side of the fabric. This is how:
And that’s how to go about preventing a tight edge when knitting stripes!
Thanks to my Patreon supporters for bringing you this freebie! Creating quality patterns and tutorials is a lot of work and resource-intensive. However, I find it important to give you free content like this tutorial. Thanks to the generous support of my Patreon supporters, I can make it happen. Thank you, patrons! Click here to join, or click here to read more about La Visch Designs on Patreon.
Due to popular request here’s the worsted weight version of my bulky weight Delft Blue cowl design. My lovely tester Yayalovestoknit made the version pictured (in size S). Isn’t it pretty in these colors?! A wonderful way for stash busting odds and ends. Of course, I also included larger sizes in the pattern for those who prefer a longer loop.
The Worsted Delft Blue cowl is knit seamless in the round, with simple color work in the corrugated ribbing.
Pay what you want: (minimum €5.50)
€
Difficulty level
The Worsted Delft Blue cowl is seamless and knit in the round with simple color work patterning. Stitches used are knit and purl. This pattern is suitable for the advanced beginner to intermediate knitter.
Sizes and finished measurements
Sizes S (M, L, XL): With a circumference of 60 (74, 88, 102) cm (24 (29, 35, 40) inches), and 21.5 cm (8½ inches) high.
To further adjust the sizing, cast-on any number of stitches in a multiple of 4 and/or work a different number of repeats of the body pattern. This will, of course, change the amount of yarn needed.
Pattern details
Worsted Delft Blue is written for a gauge of 20 sts / 24 rounds = 10 cm (4 inches) over color work pattern after washing and gentle blocking.
Pattern language included: English.
Digital PDF has 3 pages (letter size).
Yarn
Premier yarns Everyday Worsted Solids, Marls & Heathers [100% acrylic; 160 m (181 yds) / 100 g] in the following colors and amounts:
C1: 107 (132, 157, 182) m (117 (144, 172, 199) yds) / 65 (80, 95, 111) g in Black
C2: 25 (31, 37, 43) m (27 (34, 40, 47) yds / 15 (19, 22, 26) g in Aubergine
C3: 25 (31, 37, 43) m (27 (34, 40, 47) yds / 15 (19, 22, 26) g in Grenadine
C4: 25 (31, 37, 43) m (27 (34, 40, 47) yds / 15 (19, 22, 26) g in Peacock
Substitute any worsted weight yarns of similar weight and in sufficient contrast to each other for a similar result.
Materials
Circular needles in the following sizes (or to match gauge): Size 4 mm (US 6) and size 4.5 mm (US 7). For sizes S and M, a cable length of 60 cm (24 inches) is advised. However, for the larger two sizes a length of 80 cm (32 inches) may be more appropriate.
