A Shepherd’s Delight: Knit the Woolgrowers Hat & Cowl

At a farmer’s market or in a stall at a fiber festival, you might find a clutch of special yarns, the yield of a small flock of sheep. With the year-round efforts of caring for the animals, shearing, and processing the wool into yarn, these are precious. If they are priced to reflect their true value, you may be able to buy only a couple of skeins—and the farmer may not even have very many on hand to sell. Even if you can only take a skein or two home with you, you can knit a hat and cowl to wear and celebrate your connection with the flock.

The combination of simple stitches lets unique yarns sing.

The Woolgrowers Hat and Cowl are designed as sampler projects for unique skeins of small-batch yarn you may find at fiber festivals or farmers’ markets. Use any DK or light-worsted-weight wool. The stitch pattern, adapted from an historical Danish motif, uses purl and twisted stitches to create a lively geometric surface design.

MATERIALS
Cowl
Yarn 200 yd (183 m) DK-weight wool yarn. Gray cowl: San Juan Woolworks Grey Haven (North Country Cheviot cross wool; 240 yd [201 m]/3½ oz [100 g]), 1 skein. Beige cowl: Shepherd’s Hey Farm 3-ply DK (Corriedale/Romeldale/Romney wool; 225 yd [206 m]/3.7 oz [105 g]) in Faded Moorit.
Needles Size 5 (3.75 mm) 16" (40 cm) circular. Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Notions Stitch markers (m); tapestry needle.
Gauge 20½ sts and 32½ rnds = about 4" (10 cm) in pattern, blocked.
Finished Size 22½" (56 cm) circumference and 8½" (21.5 cm) tall after light blocking.

Hat
Yarn 150 yd (137 m) DK-weight wool yarn. Shown here: McFarland Creek Lamb Ranch Romney x Cormo DK (260 yd [238 m]/3.5 oz [100 g]) in Onion Skin, 1 skein.
Needles Size 5 (3.75 mm) 16" (40 cm) circular and set of double-pointed needles. Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Notions Stitch markers (m); tapestry needle.
Gauge 20 sts and 32 rnds = 4" (10 cm) in pattern, blocked.
Finished Size 19½" (49.5 cm) circumference and 8½" (21.5 cm) tall after light blocking.

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NOTES
• The cowl and hat body are worked from a chart. Hat crown decreases are both charted and written; work from either set of directions.
• The construction and breed content of your yarn will determine whether the effect is softly rustic or crisply elegant, as well as the needle size that yields the correct gauge.