Seed Stitch Cowl Knitting Tutorial: Easy Beginner Cowl in the Round
A cowl is the knitting project that makes the most sense in November. It is small, it uses one or two balls of yarn, and it keeps your neck warm without the loose ends of a scarf getting caught in your coat. The Seed Stitch Cowl from Sheep & Stitch is a great first try: a simple tube knit in the round on a short circular needle, covered in the bumpy, reversible texture of seed stitch.
In the video, designer Davina walks through the whole project from yarn choice to the last woven-in end, at a pace that suits someone who has never knit in the round before. She also explains how to make the cowl with almost any yarn you already have, which is handy if you want to use up a stash skein or knit a few as gifts.
Seed Stitch Cowl at a Glance
- Designer: Davina Choy, Sheep & Stitch
- Skill level: beginner (a first project for knitting in the round)
- Finished size: 22" around and 7.5" tall (the height can be longer if you use a thinner yarn)
- Yarn used for the pink cowl: Valley Yarns Superwash Super Bulky in Dusty Rose, 2 balls
- Needles: 10 mm 16" circular needle
- Gauge: 9 stitches and 17 rounds = 4" (10 cm) in seed stitch
- Stitches: long tail cast on, knit, purl, seed stitch, bind off in pattern
- Video length: about 35 minutes
What You'll Need
- Super bulky yarn: 2 balls of Valley Yarns Superwash Super Bulky for the pink version, or 1 ball of Debbie Bliss Super Chunky Merino (shown in the color Leaf) for the green version
- A 16" circular needle: 10 mm for the pink cowl, 9 mm for the green one
- A stitch marker to show the start of the round (optional, but it helps)
- A tapestry needle for weaving in the ends
- Scissors and a measuring tape
If you want to use a different yarn, that is part of the plan. The pattern is built around a quick swatch rather than a fixed stitch count, so worsted, chunky or super bulky yarn will all work once you know your gauge.
Picking Your Yarn and Working Out the Stitch Count
This is the part of the tutorial that makes the cowl so flexible. Before casting on, Davina knits a small flat swatch in seed stitch and measures how many stitches she gets over 4 inches. That number tells you how many stitches you need for a cowl that fits comfortably over your head.
The idea is simple: the cowl is 22" around, which is five and a half times the 4" swatch. Multiply your stitches per 4" by 5.5 and round the result to an odd number. With the super bulky yarn that works out to 49 stitches. The green cowl, knit in a different yarn on a 9 mm needle, was cast on with 55 stitches for the same 22". The pattern page also gives a worked example for worsted yarn, so you can check your math against it.
How the Seed Stitch Cowl Is Made
The video is split into clear chapters, so you can jump back to any step while you knit.
1. Materials and yarn calculations (0:00 to 7:32)
The tutorial opens with the finished cowls and the materials, then moves on to yarn choice and the stitch count math described above. From 1:56 there is a section on the basics of knitting in the round, useful if you have only knit flat pieces so far.
2. Casting on and joining in the round (7:33)
Davina uses the long tail cast on, places a marker, and joins the stitches into a ring without twisting them. A twisted cast on edge is the most common problem on a first project in the round, so if you are new to this, pause the video and check that the edge sits flat all the way around before you knit the first stitch.
3. Working the first round (12:13)
Seed stitch is made of knit and purl stitches that alternate along the round. This is the longest chapter of the video, and the first round is worked slowly and up close, which makes it a good warm-up for beginners who are still getting used to switching between knit and purl.
4. Round two and the seed stitch tip (21:28)
On the second round the knits and purls swap places, and this is where the bumpy texture appears. Davina shares the tip that makes seed stitch easy to keep going: read your stitches and knit the purls and purl the knits. Once you can see the difference between the two, you no longer need to count. From here you simply repeat the rounds until the cowl is 7.5" tall, or taller if your yarn is lighter.
5. Casting off and finishing (28:54)
The last chapter shows how to bind off in pattern, so the top edge keeps the same texture as the rest of the cowl, and how to weave in the ends with a tapestry needle so they stay hidden on both sides.
Tips for a Neat Seed Stitch Cowl
- Swatch first, even if you are tempted to skip it. The whole fit of the cowl depends on that stitch count. Ten minutes on a swatch saves you from a cowl that will not go over your head.
- Keep the stitch count odd. The pattern rounds the number to an odd count on purpose, so follow that step when you do your own math.
- Use a marker in a contrasting color. With a super bulky yarn the rounds go fast, and it is easy to lose track of where each one begins.
- Do not pull the purls too tight. Seed stitch can look uneven if the yarn is yanked when it moves from front to back. Relaxed, even tension gives the neatest bumps.
- Knit a few as gifts. One or two balls of super bulky yarn per cowl means you can finish several before the holidays, in a different color for each person on your list.
Images and patterns courtesy of Sheep & Stitch
Enjoy the Video Tutorial
Source: Sheep & Stitch on YouTube
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a good first project for knitting in the round?
Yes. Sheep & Stitch presents it as a beginner project, and the video covers the circular needle, the cast on, the join and every stitch of the first rounds in detail. The only stitches you need are knit and purl.
Can I use a yarn other than super bulky?
Yes. The cowl is designed to work with almost any yarn. Knit a small seed stitch swatch, count the stitches over 4", multiply by 5.5 and round to an odd number. With a thinner yarn you can also knit the cowl taller than 7.5" for extra warmth.
How much yarn do I need?
The pink cowl took 2 balls of Valley Yarns Superwash Super Bulky, and the green cowl took 1 ball of Debbie Bliss Super Chunky Merino. If you use another yarn, the amount will depend on its weight and yardage, so check the yarn amount chart on the designer's pattern page linked above.
More from Sheep & Stitch
- Step-by-Step Instructions for Knitting a Soft Cowl
- Quick and Easy! Learn to Knit this Chunky Crossover Cowl
- So Pretty! Learn to Knit a Chunky Lace Scarf
- Unleash Your Knitting Creativity with the Moss Stitch Tutorial
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