Knitted Roving Cowl

Want to knit up something cozy super fast? Knitting with roving may be for you! Arm knitting, finger knitting, really big knitting needles; all of these are great option for knitting with roving. It only took about 20 minutes to knit up this ultra warm and snuggly cowl with just arms and fingers!

Shopping list:

• Wool Roving (We are using the Gray Shetland but any of our wool rovings will be a great option.)
• Arms and fingers! (We suggest you use your own as borrowing other people's is frowned upon, but you might find a few at a Halloween prop shop.)
• Optional: Dharma Acid Dyes to dye white or natural roving

Let's get started!

Step 1: Prepare for Knitting

We assume you know the basics of knitting, there are a number of tutorials on knitting on YouTube.

Step 2: Cast On

Make a Slip Knot and cast on 4-5 stitches.

Step 3: Use Modified Buttonhole Cast On

The cast on we prefer to use is a modified Buttonhole Cast on (also known as a Russian cast on) by twisting the roving about 90 degrees to create a tension twist and placing it on our arms.

Step 4: Knit Across

Knit across 4 (which was about thick enough to fit our necks!) You can add more for a thicker cowl, or a lot more to make a blanket or throw.

Step 5: Purl Across

Purl across 4.

Step 6: Repeat Pattern

Repeat until your strip is long enough for the cowl you want. (We found that using two bumps of roving was enough to work for our cowl)

Step 7: Even Out Stitches

Don't forget to tug your piece now and again to help even out stitches. The snugger you can work the more defined the stitches will be, and fingers or fat needles will make finer stitches than arms. We actually re-knit this with fingers instead of arms for the final version on our model, and practice makes perfect.

Bind off by taking a spare strand of the roving and passing it through your knitted loops and "stitching" it through the other side of your finished scarf to create your big, lovely cowl! If you don't pass the roving through the loops you have created, your piece is likely to unravel.

Happy Knitting!