The Cecropia Cowl is inspired by the beautiful moth my husband and I found on our way home from the local peony garden. It was the first time either one of us had seen a silk moth of this size in person. After tons of Googling and reading about how short and tragically beautiful their lives are, it just made sense to memorialize the species in a pattern. The colorwork chart in this cowl includes a border that mimics the moth’s antennae, as well as several nature-inspired motifs around the main moth graphic.

TECHNIQUES UTILIZED

This pattern is worked with stranded colorwork, where floats are caught every few stitches at the back of your work. Other unique techniques utilized in this pattern include:

Split Single Crochet (Waistcoat Stitch) - Used for the colorwork chart, gives the appearance of knitted fabric

Front and Back Post Single / Double Crochet - Used for top and bottom hem, gives the appearance of ribbing

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Hook
2.5 mm crochet hook, or size needed to obtain listed gauge.

(Optional) Hook 1 or 2 sizes smaller than what is used for colorwork to be used for ribbing.

Yarn & Yardage
If knitting edge ribbing in Color B…
Color A: 320 yds / 292 m
Color B: 405 yds / 370 m

If knitting edge ribbing in Color A…
Color A: 425 yds / 389 m
Color B: 308 yds / 282 m

Yarn is knit with Pink Adobe Dyworks fingering sock in Moth (beige) as Color A and Cecropia (brown multi) as Color B.

Notions
Tapestry needle
3 locking stitch markers
Scissors

SIZING

Size & Finished Measurements
13” W x 13” H / 33 cm W x 33 cm H laid flat (26” / 66 cm circumference) when finished and blocked

Gauge
24 stitches and 28 rows for 4” (10 cm) square measured over colorwork pattern using split single crochet stitch in the round after blocking

If sharing your progress and finished piece on Instagram or other social networks, please use the hashtag #CecropiaCowl, and happy crocheting, friend!

Photo credit: Katherine Trull