Cover Your Neck With a Cowl

Last Updated on November 24, 2020 by lydiaf1963

One thing I’ve learned the past few winters is that a warm scarf makes a huge difference in comfort. This oversized arm knit cowl will be an attractive addition to any winter wardrobe as it covers all the gaps around your neck. There’s no need for knitting needles in this project, you’ll only need your hands (and arms).

Buying Clothes in Spain is Different

With the exception of some of the yarn, my entire outfit was purchased here in Spain. Clothes shopping is an interesting experience. In general your Spanish size is your American size plus 32, but those are just starting points.

In the US my size 14 hiney is average but over here, I’m a big girl. It can be difficult to find my size as the stores don’t cater to everyone. The same is true for shoes. I wear a size 42 here and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been frustrated to learn that 40 was the largest size carried. Fortunately there are clothes and shoe stores everywhere with helpful, attentive staff who will assist in locating items and suggest accessories.

My best advice for buying clothes in Spain: make sure to try everything on. Don’t worry about the length, the pants are too long for everyone. There are cosetodos (literally sews everything) all over the place who can make the necessary adjustments.

My pea coat is a wool blend lined with satin. It’s perfect until the temps dip closer to freezing when I have to pull out my long coat. I love the slacks. They’re a blend with a thin flannel lining which goes a long way to cutting the brisk winds that blow through the streets.

The right clothing along with a hat, gloves and, of course, a cowl help keep me comfortable while running errands.

Back to the arm knit cowl

As mentioned, the cowl was made using a technique called arm knitting. It’s simple to learn and because the yarn is bulky weight the project can be completed quickly.

The burgundy and gray yarns are Lion Brand Thick and Quick. The cream is a super bulky acrylic that is really soft and fleecy like. Three strands were worked together. Check out the video I used for more information.

After watching the video, you’ll understand how simple it is to make this cowl. The most difficult parts are casting on and managing the yarn. I stood next to my bed and used it to hold the bulk as the piece grew in length. The balls of yarn sort of rolled around on the floor.

A few times I neglected to grab all three strands, but it was easy enough to work my way back to the error and fix it.

To get a nice, loose drape make the cowl about as long as you are tall before fastening the two ends together.

You’ll need about 200 yards of each color, so make sure to check the labels. I used yarn from my stash, but the last time I was in the yarn store I saw some super bulky acrylics with bold, fashion forward colors that would make gorgeous winter accessories.

What is your favorite way to keep warm when outside?