Yes, it’s intarsia, but you shouldn’t feel intimidated by all of the colorwork. The Color Warp Cowl is a hybrid technique that falls somewhere between traditional hand knitting and a commercial method called warp knitting.Each yarn makes a color stripe, zigging and zagging its way to the bottom of the cowl. The method is simple, only using knits and purls to create the zig zag effect. You don’t even have to twist the yarns together as you would in traditional intarsia.

This project was inspired by an African basket made
from repurposed telephone wire. The spiraling design changes directions abruptly creating a rainbow of lightning bolts emanating from the center. The 20g pieces of yarn in each stripe are a good way to use your scraps and it’s best to use at least five colors for this project.

Finished Size: 24.5” (62 cm) in circumference and 18” (41 cm) tall.
Needles: #7, 8, 9, 10 (4.5, 5, 5.5, 6 mm) circular needles with a 16” (40 cm) cord.

Gauge: 18 sts x 36 rows = 4 x 4” (10 x 10 cm) square in garter stitch on smallest needle.

Materials: Stitch marker, tapestry needle, and a scale accurate to the gram.

Optional Materials: 2 bobbins per stripe