Scarab Cowl (Knit) by The Frosted Stitch

Scarab Cowl (Knit)

Knitting
August 2025
DK (11 wpi) ?
23 stitches and 28 rows = 4 inches
in Stockinette Colourwork
US 5 - 3.75 mm
US 3 - 3.25 mm
650 - 735 yards (594 - 672 m)
English
This pattern is available for C$7.00 CAD buy it now

“No harm ever came from reading a book.”

If you’re a Millennial, then you know EXACTLY what this is from - the cinematic masterpiece that is the 1999 classic “The Mummy” starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and Oded Fehr. This is, without a doubt, my FAVOURITE movie, so using it as inspiration for a design (and a collection) is a no-brainer.

Enter “The Scarab Cowl”, a beautiful colourwork cowl inspired by the creepy crawlers themselves. You’ll create the image of a scarab and a simple Egyptian motif with stockinette colourwork, and top it off with gorgeous 4x2 ribbing.

What you’ll need:

  • DK Weight Yarn in 3 colours: MC (245y) - Book of the Living CC1 (245y - Blue Gold CC2 (245y) - Ardeth Bay
  • Cables/Knitting Needles 20” cables or circular needles 3.75mm (or size required to get gauge) for body of the cowl 3.25mm (or .5mm smaller than above) for the ribbing
  • Stitch Marker (to mark BOR), and 2 extra stitch markers (if you wish to mark the beginning of each chart repeat)
  • Tapestry Needle
  • Scissors

Gauge: 23 sts and 28 rows in 4” in colourwork stockinette in the round, blocked

Finished Size: Approximately 14” wide x 18” tall

Pattern includes notes and tips/tricks for colourwork, as well as casting on, binding off, and catching and carrying floats. The pattern is CHARTED only - this means that there are not round by round instructions written out completely. Rather, it is a grid/chart that you follow with changes in colour indicated on the image.

While the stitches themselves are very simple, colourwork using 3 working strands is not considered beginner-friendly, therefore I’d classify this as intermediate. But if you’ve done 2-stranded colourwork before, I encourage you to take the leap - I promise it’s not bad! PLUS, there is a link for a tutorial on how to do the duplicate stitch - in case you’d rather add one of the colours that way and save yourself a third strand.