Maurits in Brooklyn Tweed Wool People 8

Photo © Copyright Brooklyn Tweed/Jared Flood

Maurits is a new cowl design that's part of Brooklyn Tweed's latest collection, Wool People 8. It's worked in Loft, a yarn I know well and completely adore. Another recent color work pattern, Dutch, also employs this stunning stuff, and looking at both patterns together, I can really see that I was designing and knitting them at around the same time. 

Photo © Copyright Brooklyn Tweed/Jared Flood

The Brooklyn Tweed team encouraged me to work the cowl up in two lengths with two very different color combinations. The longer version shown in green and white (Button Jar and Fossil) is beautifully high-contrast, showing off the color work in crisp, clear stitches. This look is bold and makes a statement with color, which is right up my alley - I want to show off my impressive knits!

I'm so glad they asked me to work up another version in more subtle autumn hues, though. The shorter cowl in Pumpernickel and Homemade Jam reminds me of Turkish rugs. The effect is a softer feel that invites a closer look. 

Photo © Copyright Brooklyn Tweed/Jared Flood

Both cowls are made up of three equal sections, separated by clean stripes. I'd love to see a project that maintains a background color while working a gradation of contrast colors, a different one for each of the three sections. 

Photo © Copyright Brooklyn Tweed/Jared Flood

Because the cowl is worked entirely in the round (no wrong side!) and the stitch pattern is made up of fairly small repeats, this could be a good choice for knitters just dipping their toes into the color work world. Aside from color work, the only other special skills you'll need are working a provisional cast on and grafting using Kitchener stitch. Instructions for both are included in the pattern. 

You can get the pattern on the Brooklyn Tweed website and on Ravlery. Check out the Look Book to see the rest of the designs in Wool People 8!


Pattern Specs:

MATERIALS 
Fingering weight wool yarn in the following approximate amounts: 
545 (655) yards of Color 1 (C1) 
440 (575) yards of Color 2 (C2)

Brooklyn Tweed Loft (100% American Targhee-Columbia wool; 275 yards/50g): 
2 (3) skeins each of C1 & C2

Version I: 
Photographed in colors Homemade Jam (C1) & Pumpernickel (C2)

Version II: 
Photographed in colors Fossil (C1) & Button Jar (C2)

GAUGE 
23 stitches & 36 rounds = 4” in stockinette stitch with Size A needle, after blocking 
23 stitches & 26 rounds = 4” in charted colorwork pattern with Size B needle, after blocking

NEEDLES 
Size A (for Striped Sections): 
One 16” circular needle in size needed to obtain gauge listed 
Suggested Size: US 3¾ mm (US 5)

Size B (for Charted Colorwork Sections): 
One 16” circular needle two sizes larger than Size A needle 
Suggested Size: 4½ mm (US 7)

FINISHED DIMENSIONS 
17½” wide; Version I: 45¼” long, Version II: 59” long

Measurements taken from relaxed fabric after blocking

SKILL LEVEL 

3 of 5