Questions for a convertible cowl

Hi all - I would like to make this convertible cowl that I found on Etsy (just for myself, not to sell):

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27486811&ref=fp_feat_7
(If link doesn’t work, you can search for it under “As You Like it Convertible Cowl Wardrobe”)

It looks pretty easy, but as I am somewhat of a beginner, I have a couple of questions.

  1. I’m trying to figure out what weight yarn this person used. My initial thought was chunky weight. But I think I count 11 sts for a 4.5" width - and according to some online charts, would that call for bulky yarn??

  2. Is there anything special with the buttons? They look to me like they are simply sewn on w/ a thread and needle?

  3. Are there actual buttonholes? Or do you think they just use the ‘natural’ holes in the knit?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Now that is an intersting pattern, isn’t it.

The buttons must function - she mentions you can take it apart. If you look at the smaller pictures, you can see her wear just the cream one and just the green one, then the 2 of them buttoned together, worn 2 different ways. These 2 must be the same size.

Then the orange one is longer. In one pic it’s worn alone, then butoned to just 1, then to both.

She gives the measurements at the bottom.

The loops - first I thought there was something like a crochet chain making the loops. But now I think she just poked the button thru the edge of the knit fabric.

I don’t imagine it would matter what yarn you used, just so you make it 4-5 inches wide and knit to the length given.

That’s what I was going to say. It’s just garter stitch rectangles, so you can use any weight yarn, and knit it to the measurements. And yeah, looking at the closeups of the zoom, it doesn’t seem like there’s any buttonloops, they’re just pushed through the edge. You can put them on either the cast on or bound off edge. Cast on with long tail or cable, knit a few sts make a double yo, knit more, double yo for the other loop and finish the row. On the next row, k the first loop of the double yo tbl, and the other one as usual. Or you can do this on the last row before you BO.

Thanks for the helpful info!

I wanted to try to achieve the same look, so if any of you were to guess b/w chunky and bulky weight, which do you think they used?

Also, are these instructions (pasted below) for making the buttonholes?

“Cast on with long tail or cable, knit a few sts make a double yo, knit more, double yo for the other loop and finish the row. On the next row, k the first loop of the double yo tbl, and the other one as usual. Or you can do this on the last row before you BO.”

Thanks again

Chunky and bulky are pretty interchangeable terms, aren’t they? Either one would work, knit on size 13-17 needles.

Yes, that was my suggestion for making the buttonholes. That puts the holes near the edge. I don’t know how well it would work, you’d have to try it out and see.

Oh, okay - I thought ‘chunky’ and ‘bulky’ were standardized yarn weight terms like ‘worsted’ and ‘sport’. Well, I’ll see what I can get my hands on!

Thanks again for the help!

Most heavier yarns seem to be classified as bulky and super bulky, but there’s the odd manufacturer who uses chunky and I don’t know which it’s closer to. Look at the gauge of a chunky and see if it’s more like a bulky or a super. There’s usually a range in gauges anyway. Some that are classified as DK actually knit up well at worsted weight.

  1. Is there anything special with the buttons? They look to me like they are simply sewn on w/ a thread and needle?

The buttons are sewn on with the yarn she used to make the scarf, not thread. If the yarn you use has more than one ply you could split it if you needed it smaller to go through the needle you need to use to get through your button holes.

Easy project. Looks kind of interesting to wear.

I don’t even think they did anything at all for buttonholes, just poked the button thru the garter fabric. Knit on large needles, the fabric would be loose enough to do that.

If you look at the pic where they are wearing just the green one, one button at the top w/the bottom open - you don’t see a yarn over type hole/space. On any of the pics where there is an un-buttoned edge, no yo hole.

It looks that way to me too, but if you wanted to try buttonholes you could.