Circular Needle Knit Cowl Pattern

Circles are a terrific organic shape. They’re said to symbolize everything from the cycle of life to a sense of wholeness. This Bubble Cowl knit pattern celebrates the beauty of the circle. First of all, it’s a circular needle knit cowl pattern. More obviously, though, we use unique colorwork to create circles that look like bubbles for the body of the design. Have you ever seen anything quite like it before? It’s one of my most original designs.

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History of the Bubble Cowl

I designed this circular needle knit cowl pattern for Kollage Yarns about a decade ago. Kollage Yarns was a really wonderful yarn company that created super unique yarns including yarn made from corn silk, recycled blue jeans and even milk. Yes, milk. Unfortunately, like many small businesses, Kollage Yarns no longer exists. However, the Bubble Cowl still exists, as do other designs I made in collaboration with them such as my Mountain Mist Poncho Pattern, Shimmer Shawl, and Recycled Denim Carryall.

About This Circular Needle Knit Cowl Pattern

You will knit the Bubble Cowl with Size 3 (3.25 mm): 24” circular needles. This is a seamless bottom-up cowl. Designed for teens and adults, the finished measurements are: 26 ½“ (67.31 cm) around and 10” (25.4 cm) tall. You’ll use stranded colorwork to create the beautiful bubbles that make up the bulk of the design. The pattern includes colorwork charts to guide you.

Choosing The Right Luxury Yarn

Obviously, I designed this with a special yarn in mind. I originally worked with Kollage Sock-A-Licious which is a blend of 70% Superwash Merino Wool, 10% Mulberry Silk, and 20% Nylon. The wool makes it warm and cozy. The silk makes it soft and adds sheen. The nylon adds stretch. While this yarn is discontinued, you can play around with some great substitutes.

In fact, we recommended some this week from WeCrochet, which are discounted through 12/31/21 (and available afterwards at regular price, of course.) For example, you might try working this pattern in their Paragon Sport, which is 50% Fine Merino Wool, 25% Baby Alpaca, 25% Mulberry Silk in Sport Weight. Or perhaps their Capretta Superwash, which is a blend of 80% Fine Superwash Merino Wool, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon in Fingering Weight. When making yarn substitutions like this, check for gauge, of course. Luckily, though, cowl sizes are a bit flexible anyway, right?

Symbolism of Circles

The Bubble Cowl is rich in circles. As mentioned, there’s a lot of symbolism in the circle shape. You can find references to it everywhere from philosophy and literature to science and math. In her book Mandalas for Marinke, my blogger Kathryn wrote:

Susan F. Fischer (2010) also writes about how the circle is part of our being in myriad ways, from the way we begin as a round egg inside of a womb to the way we live on round planet moving in a circle around the sun. She writes, “The subliminal experience of circular movement, like the memory of our mother’s womb, is encoded in our bodies. Thus we are predisposed to respond to the circle. We share these facts of human life with all human beings both ancient and modern.”

It’s just something you might want to think about as you work on this circular needle knit cowl pattern, watching circles develop beneath your fingertips. Whether you consider the deep relationship we have with circles or simply picture children blowing bubbles into the air, crafting it is all the more fun as you consider those circles.

You Might Also Like:

• 20 Free Circle Patterns to Crochet and Knit
• Circle in Square Crochet and Knit Free Patterns
• Magic Circle Crochet: Best Way to Start a Project in the Round

Frequently Asked Questions

What size circular needles do I need for this cowl?

So here’s the thing… you’ll be knitting the Bubble Cowl with Size 3 (3.25 mm): 24” circular needles. It’s designed to be seamless and worked bottom-up!

What kind of yarn did you originally use for this pattern?

Honestly… I originally designed this with Kollage Sock-A-Licious yarn, which was a super unique blend including merino wool, silk, and nylon. It’s discontinued now, but there are some fantastic substitutes out there!

Can I use a different yarn than the one you recommended?

Yes! You can definitely play around with yarn substitutions. I’ve suggested some great options from WeCrochet, like their Paragon Sport or Capretta Superwash. Just be sure to check your gauge with whatever yarn you choose!

What are the finished measurements of the cowl?

It’s a pretty generous size… the finished cowl measures about 26 ½“ (67.31 cm) around and 10” (25.4 cm) tall. It’s designed for teens and adults!

What’s the deal with all the circles in this pattern?

Well, the “bubbles” in the design are made using stranded colorwork, creating these gorgeous circles. Circles have so much symbolism, from wholeness to the cycles of life… it just adds an extra layer of fun while you’re knitting!