42 Killer Knit Cowl Patterns

This tutorial is truly for beginners. All you need to know how to do to knit this cozy cowl is how to cast on and knit in garter stitch, and the tutorial explains the rest.

Knitting cowls flat and then seaming them together is great because there's no fussy circular needles to deal with! That makes things such as flashy colorwork so simple.

If you're looking for more of a challenge, but still want to knit your cowl flat before seaming it together, the Lightning Fast Lattice Cowl is perfect for you. These cables aren't for beginners!

Bobbles are a great way to give a plain old cowl some real intrigue. This cowl is made of them, so it will really stand out from the crowd.

Achieving a moebius twist is frustrating when unintentional, but a cool twist (pun intended!) on a project when it's purposefully completed. Try it out with this cowl!

Cables can really slow down a project, but not with this cowl! The big yarn and small project size really helps this project fly by.

Arm knitting is easily the quickest way to complete any type of bigger project. With the right yarn, it doesn't even look arm knit! This cowl, for example, looks like something out of a department store.

Knitting up a last-minute gift for someone is easy with patterns like this. Whether you're just a couple hours out from a Christmas party, or you forgot about someone's birthday until the day of, this is an excellent option.

Thick and thin yarn can really stand out in a more simple pattern, such as with this Wasabi Cowl. If you have a cool type of yarn you want to show off, be sure to keep it uncomplicated!

We love the various elements of this project, such as how the seed stitch panels intermingle with the lace. Do bear in mind this will be a bit of a longer project, since it's on the wider side and uses worsted weight yarn.

The lace in this cowl is a bit more complicated, so beginning knitters should tread carefully. If you have the skills and patience for it, the work put into a cowl like this is sure to pay off.

That's right; this cowl is made using a repeat of only four rows! This makes it a great, mindless project for knitting in front of the TV or listening to an audiobook, but the eyelets make it look much more complicated.

If you want a cowl that's lighter in design, the combination of lace and DK weight yarn is perfect for you. The eyelets are evenly spread throughout this project, giving it a great, breezy design.

Tread lightly! This cowl uses multiple colors of yarn to create a traditional fair isle design. If you can stick through 'til the end, you'll find yourself with an incredible work of art for around your neck.

Fair isle doesn't have to be complicated! Knitting with only two colors keeps this pattern on the simpler side of intermediate, but the colorwork itself is still impressive.

For an easier way of incorporating multiple colors into your work, consider foregoing stranded colorwork for something a bit more simple, such as stripes. When accomplished correctly, it can even give the project an ombre effect, such as with this cowl.

Another relatively easy way to use more than one color in your cowl is with projects such as this Porcelain Moon Cowl. The colorwork here is less fussy, but much more bold.

This cowl is knitted on the bias, which already gives it a unique look, but the inclusion of stripes really helps pull it all together. We love this for a more nondescript look, and even boys would gladly wear this cowl on a cold day.

By knitting one into the stitch below, you can find yourself with a colorwork effect that looks a lot more complicated than it is! We love the color combination of this cowl, but it would even look great with just one color of yarn.

The dense fabric of this cowl just screams "cozy!" You're not going to regret knitting up one of these classics when we hit subzero temperatures and the winter wind is whipping in your face.

Slip stitch colorwork really gives a cool effect, and this Brick Road Knit Cowl Pattern is no exception! There's even a matching hat if you're looking to knit a set.

The cool stitch pattern in this cowl gives it the look of ebbing and flowing waves, which is perfect for a winter beach day. We love the seafoam color, which really matches the theme.

Sometimes, you just want to show off your really fancy handpainted yarn, or you love the colors in a variegated skein. This Reflecting Pool Cowl Pattern really helps the yarn itself shine.

This cowl is nice and chunky, making it a big and quick project for winter days when you really just need something warm and fast. We love the neon colors in this cowl to help bring some brightness into winter!

Brioche may seem really complicated, but the effect is worth it. The rib-like look of this cowl makes it extra squishy and extra warm. We love how the yarn was really able to shine in this project.

Lace can still be warm! In projects such as this Elegant Eyelet Cowl Pattern, you can still look delicate and feminine while keeping yourself toasty in the late autumn or early spring.