The Ramona Phoenix Cowl: 1 Kit, 8 Ways to Knit

I’m a firm believer in the importance of choice and customization, especially when it comes to fashion. The more diverse, the more personalized, the more unmistakably you, the better! So when I heard that Interweave’s exclusive Ramona Phoneix Cowl Kit gives knitters eight options to choose from, I was all over it.

The Ramona Phoenix Cowl features classic paisley motifs in stranded colorwork, with two color options for each of two possible colorways: black paisleys on a multicolor background or multicolored paisleys on a black background. The cowl can be made in two circumference options (16.5 inches or 11 inches) and is worked in the round as a tube with the two ends grafted together. It knits up quickly in worsted-weight yarn on size 7 needles, and the wool yarn means the cowl is super warm.

Each kit includes two gorgeous Plymouth Yarn Company selections. First up is the star of the show: Gina. This 100 percent wool, single-ply gradient yarn shifts between too many stunning jewel tones to count. Whether you choose the original or the new Ocean colorway, you’ll love watching the colors pool and blend on your needles.

Shining in its supporting role is Plymouth Yarn Company’s Galway Worsted in solid black. Made of 100 percent wool with a 4-ply construction, it’s the perfect yarn to really make that gradient yarn pop.

Now for the fun part! Here’s where your choices come into play.

Knit It Your Way with the Ramona Phoenix Cowl!

First, choose your colorway. The original colorway is a festive rainbow of colors that’s guaranteed to keep you interested as you knit and turn heads when you wear it. Combined with the solid black yarn, the exciting colors pop for a bold statement. More recently, we released a new colorway called Ocean that blends between blues, greens, and browns. This creates a more subtle effect that might be easier to blend into a more neutrally-inclined wardrobe. Either colorway will keep you stitching like it’s an addiction, waiting to see the next color change.

Now it’s time to choose your patterning. You have the option to either knit black paisleys on a multicolored background or multicolored paisleys on a black background. This is totally a matter of preference—it might depend on your wardrobe, or which yarn you’d like to have left over!

Your final choice is cowl size. The larger cowl has a 16.5” circumference and is typically worn folded in half lengthwise.  That’s four layers of stranded colorwork—very cozy! (Or if you want, you can unfold it to cover your nose in like Deb is doing in the header image!) The smaller cowl has an 11” circumference and ends up a bit taller because it isn’t doubled over.

Any of these eight cowl options would make a great multi-season accessory! Don’t shy away from the bright colors. There are lots of different ways to pull these cowls off.

I got together a few members of the Interweave team and asked them to model and style two variations of the cowl. A black shirt, sweater, or dress is a natural choice, but I tried out a khaki green jacket, and Allison wore an orange sweater that looked really nice with the black-background cowl.

There are so many colors within Plymouth Yarn Company Gina that you’re bound to find something unexpected in your closet that coordinates with your new cowl!

My personal preference would be the larger-sized cowl with a black background, in the original colorway. What version of the Ramona Phoenix Cowl do you like best? Let me know in the comments!

—Andrea Lotz
Social Media Manager, Interweave Yarn & Fiber

P.S. Did you know this cowl is a rework of Melissa Lemmons’s Ramona Cowl from knitscene Winter 2011? Love of Knitting editor Deb Gerish reimagined this popular cowl as an exclusive kit for Interweave. You can learn more about her design process here!

Updated 7/12/2018 with information about new colorway.

Get Some Bright Colors on Your Needles