Free Patterns
Published on February 3, 2023

Learn to Knit with the New Storm Cowl Kit from Scheepjes!

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Hello, lovely! Today I wanted to share a fun finish with you. The Storm Cowl in Scheepjes Peru is a beautiful and fast make, and it’s also perfect if you’re wanting to learn how to knit. The final outcome is superb. But before I tell you all about about the Storm Cowl, let me make a couple of announcements!

Announcements

First, I want to share some exciting news! I am starting a new blog series which premiers Monday, February 6th, and will be released on the first Monday of each month. The blog series is made for creatives and is called “Creative Clarity.” In the posts, I will share strategies to help you feepen your creative practice, and even make more money if you are a career creative.

Even though it is not geared toward crochet specifically, of course some of the personal stories that I share will be crochet/designer related, and I have also set it up so that a relevant free crochet pattern will be released alongside each monthly blog post. I am so proud of this series, and eager to share it with you. Look out for it here on this website on Monday! Note: You can subscribe to this website in the sidebar and you’ll be notified via email every time I publish a blog post.

And PS, I also want to remind you, even though you might already know, that we are already on Part 3 of 8 of the Colour Lab CAL, but you can definitely join in anytime! Head to the Main CAL Page for all of the information.

Re-Learning to Knit

If you have followed me for a while, you may have heard me mention that I actually started my fiber art journey as a knitter in 2003, when I was in college. I learned straight from books, and definitely did everything wrong on my first WIP, which was a bright red tote bag made with scratchy yarn and rubber knitting needles (!) that were probably two sizes too small – I still remember that wrist pain!

When I brought that bag to my weekly knitting club meet-up, the other students helped me work out all of the mistakes I was making, and from then on, I made scarves and even sweaters. (Everything was scratchy, mind you, as I had a college-student-sized yarn budget.)

When the folks at Scheepjes asked me if I would work up the Storm Cowl, I knew it would be fun to try and knit again! Once the kit came in the mail, I went and bought a circular knitting needle and got straight to it, BUT apparently I still have a problem with needle sizing because I didn’t pay attention to the cord length of the circular needle, and it was too long!

The project is supposed to be worked in the round, continuously working in a circle until all of the yarn is used up, and then the cowl would not need to be seamed. I know I could do a maneuver called the “magic loop” and still use the long needle, but I did not want to stress myself with learning too many new things at once. I like to protect my peace! So I decided to work the cowl back and forth on the circular needle, and then seam it afterward.

Relevant Link: Check out this video for the Magic Loop!

Scheepjes Storm Cowl Pattern

The Storm Cowl is not my pattern, but you can find it free on Ravelry. It’s from the Simy’s Studio collection and all of the info is free online. There are even YouTube videos to accompany the pattern that will walk you step-by-step through learning how to knit.

I was surprised at how much I remembered! Muscle memory kicked in, and I was able to cast on, make the cowl with all purl stitch, and then use mattress stitch to seam it. I would say that these are all techniques that a beginning knitter can definitely handle.

Storm Cowl Kit

From the Scheepjes website:

“The Storm Cowl Kit is suitable for any level of knitter but has been put together with novice knitters especially in mind. As well as four balls of cosy Scheepjes Peru yarn, inside you’ll find a simple pattern with additional diagrams to clearly explain the stitches. Online videos demonstrating the techniques have been specially created that you can replay as many times as you need.”

Quick Links

Scheepjes Peru Yarn

Scheepjes Peru is a Super Chunky weight yarn so your cowl will grow quickly and be ready to wear in no time! As a blend of 20% Alpaca and 80% Acrylic, it is wonderfully light and soft against the skin and washable up to 30°C. Kits are available in a choice of two beautiful natural shades of Peru that will make your stitches easier to see.

Here is the whole color range, which features gorgeous muted tones perfect for garments and accessories, or even a pillow cover.

Buy a Kit!

I am not affiliated with any of these shops, but I thought it would be useful to have some links so you can buy your own!

The Storm Cowl Knitting Process

This project is knitted with two yarns held together, so it works up extra quick! I stopped at certain times to take photos, and here’s the first one I took.

I know the repetitive stitch is so simple, but sometimes a simple and zen project is just what the doctor ordered.

Another view of the cowl in progress!

This is the first full project I finished in 2023 and it felt good to get something checked off my list this early in the year.

LOOK at that texture. The thickness of the yarn held double plus the fact that it’s garter stitch – this cowl is thick and substantial, while still being lightweight and flexible.

Like I said before, I decided to seam this project with mattress stitch. Using a tapestry needle, you alternate sides, grabbing the ladder of the edge stitch, and then every couple of rows, you cinch the yarn gently to close the seam.

Storm Cowl Finished!

Here is how the Storm Cowl looks when it’s being worn on the model. Isn’t it beautiful? I love that cream color as well.

And here’s the cowl on me! I just love it, and it’ll get a lot of wear in these cold months. This yarn is so lush and buttery soft, it’s a total dream. And just enough squish to be cozy, but not too much to be annoyingly floofy. It’s just perfect.

I had another thought to use the cowl in my photos as a texture prop, so it can have a dual purpose.

Doesn’t it look nice?

Well, that’s just about everything! Thank you for reading about my knitting journey with the Storm Cowl. I appreciate you!

Happy Crafting,

Rachele C.

The Art of Crochet Blankets

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