Candle Flame Cowl Knitting Pattern

The lace pattern for the candle flame cowl requires attention but it’s not difficult, particularly after you’ve worked through the repeat once. And the bulky yarn makes this project one of the quickest eyelet patterns you’ll probably ever work.

This pattern is an easy way to learn the basics of lace knitting without having to deal with the usual super thin yarn that lace uses.

Lace Knitting Basics

The only lace knitting “skills” you need to make this pattern are yarn over and knit two together, which are the easiest lace knitting techniques out there.

To make a yarn over, you’re just wrapping the yarn around the needle to make a hole on purpose. There are a few different ways this looks depending on what the stitches immediately before and after the yarn over are doing.

If the yarn over is between two knit stitches, wrap the yarn between the needles, up to the front and around the back.

If it’s between a knit and a purl, do the same, but keep wrapping until the yarn is back in the front again and ready to work the purl stitch.

And if your yarn over comes after a purl and before a knit, take the yarn from back to front over the needle. There’s not really any wrapping involved, but this will make the hole.

Knit two together is just what it sounds like: go through two stitches at the same time as if to knit and work them both together.

It should be noted that in this pattern, the increases and decreases don’t happen on the same row, so your stitch count will vary from row to row. Use row 12 or row 24 to count if you want to make sure you’re on track.

How to Knit a Candle Flame Cowl

Materials

• two skeins of Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky (I used color Gold) or about 200 yards of bulky wool yarn of your choice (see below for some ideas)
• pair of size 10.5 US (6.5 mm) knitting needles
• scissors and yarn needle

Gauge

Gauge is not critical, but I got about 18 stitches and 20 rows per 4 inches/10 cm (4.5 stitches and 5 rows per inch/2.5 cm) in pattern.

Size

Finished cowl is variable in width, but about 9 inches/22.8 cm wide, and 30 inches/76 cm around.

Instructions

1. Cast on 38 stitches.
2. Work in Candle Flame stitch (see below) for about 30 inches/76 cm, ending with row 24.
3. Bind off in knit. Leave a long tail for sewing.
4. Block the piece so that the edges follow the curve of the pattern and the size is about 9 inches/22.8 cm wide and 30 inches/76 cm long.
5. When the knitting is dry, use your tail or another piece of yarn to sew the cast on and bind off edges together.

Candle Flame Stitch

Works on multiples of 12 plus 2 stitches.

Row 1: *Purl 2, yarn over, knit 1, yarn over, purl 2, knit 2, knit 2 together, knit 3. Repeat from * across, end purl 2.

Row 2: *K2, P6, K2, P3. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Row 3: *P2, K1, (yo, K1) twice, P2, K2, K2tog, K2. Repeat from * across, end P2.

Row 4: *(K2, P5) twice. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Row 5: *P2, K2, yo, K1, yo, K2, P2, K2, K2tog, K1. Repeat from * across, end P2.

Row 6: *K2, P4, K2, P7. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Row 7: *P2, K3, yo, K1, yo, K3, P2, K2, K2tog. Repeat from * across, end P2.

Row 8: *K2, P3, K2, P9. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Row 9: *P2, K2, K2tog, K5, P2, K1, K2tog. Repeat from * across, end P2.

Row 10: *K2, P2, K2, P8. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Row 11: *P2, K2, K2tog, K4, P2, K2tog. Repeat from * across, end P2.

Row 12: *K2, P1, K2, P7. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Row 13: *P2, K2, K2tog, K3, P2, yo, K1, yo. Repeat from * across, end P2.

Row 14: *K2, P3, K2, P6. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Row 15: *P2, K2, K2tog, K2, P2, (K1, yo) twice, K1. Repeat from * across, end P2.

Row 16: *(K2, P5) twice. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Row 17: *P2, K2, K2tog, K1, P2, K2, yo, K1, yo, K2. Repeat from * across, end P2.

Row 18: *K2, P7, K2, P4. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Row 19: *P2, K2, K2tog, P2, K3, yo, K1, yo, K3. Repeat from * across, end P2.

Row 20: *K2, P9, K2, P3. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Row 21: *P2, K1, K2tog, P2, K2, K2tog, K5. Repeat from * across, end P2.

Row 22: *K2, P8, K2, P2. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Row 23: *P2, K2tog, P2, K2, K2tog, K4. Repeat from * across, end P2.

Row 24: *K2, P7, K2, P1. Repeat from * across, end K2.

Other Yarn Options

If you’d like to knit your candle flame cowl with a different yarn, choose a size 5 bulky. Other good choices would be Lion Brand Hue & Me, Bernat Roving or Premier Yarns Basix Chunky, to name a few.

You want yarn that is relatively smooth so that the stitching will show up well. Yarn that is really fuzzy or otherwise textured isn’t a great option for this project.