The Shelley Cowl – Free Knitting Pattern

The Shelley Cowl Pattern – Knit a Gothic Lace Button Cowl

The Shelley Cowl – Inspired by Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein

The Shelley Cowl is a delicate scallop and lace knitting pattern with metal button accents.  This cowl is inspired by one of my favorite writers, Mary Shelley.  Shelley is most famous for her Gothic novel, Frankenstein.  For me, Shelley’s life was fascinating, surrounded by activists, poets, and Romanticism.  In my research about Shelley, one image of her continually pops up, one in which she is dressed in a black gown, the neckline scalloped, an inscrutable expression on her face.

Based on that image, the Gothic nature of Frankenstein, and the Romantic time period, this cowl is the essence Shelley, in my mind: a juxtaposition of hard and soft, dark and light, slightly complex.  This cowl is knit with worsted weight yarn and size 8 knitting needles.  The buttons are roughly 3/4 of an inch, metal.

What I love most about this cowl is its versatility.  It can be worn a number of different ways, as seen in the photos.

To get you in the mood to knit this cowl, here is a passage from Frankenstein, Chapter 5:

“It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs.”

I hope you enjoy, favorite, queue, share, pin, etc.  🙂

*This post contains affiliate links.  However, all opinions are my own, and I only recommend products that I love.

Materials:

• Worsted Weight Yarn (1 250 yd skein), such as Lion Brand Heartland Yarn Black Canyon
• Size 8 Knitting Needles
• 3/4-inch Metal Buttons (Set of 6)
• Yarn Needle
• A copy of Frankenstein on audiobook. 😉

Gauge: Gauge is not important for this project.

Instructions:

Cast on 120 stitches.

Row 1: (Right Side): *(K2tog) 4 times, (K1, yo) 8 times, (K2tog) 4 times.  Repeat from * to the end of the row.

Rows 2 and 3: Knit all stitches.

Row 4: Purl all stitches.

Repeat Rows 1-4 until the piece measures approximately 14 inches from the beginning cast-on edge.

Bind off.

Weave in loose ends.

Sew the buttons evenly-spaced along one of the short ends of the work.

Want more patterns?

Check out my other knitting patterns right here.

Let’s Connect!

I hope you like this pattern! Let me know which other authors you love, and be sure to share a photo if you make this cowl.  Follow the blog with your email address (sign up on the side bar) and be sure to join the “Fandom Knitting & Crochet Group” on Facebook.  We talk all things fandom and yarn.  I’m also on Instagram: @fandom.knitting.crochet

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