Kids cosy cowl tutorial

The lovely Lynz asked if I could write a tutorial for the cowls I made for the children and I thought it might be fun to have a go.  It is really simple and would be an ideal first knit fabric project.

The cowls can easily be made with outgrown, thrifted or unwanted t-shirts too (you don't need much fabric) and then you really wouldn't need to worry about whether it worked perfectly first time.

Kids Cosy Cowl Tutorial::

General notes::
1. You can use any kind of stretchy knit fabric but it will be easier to work with, and lie better, if it is reasonably thick and not too flimsy

2. Change to a ball point needle and use ball point pins if you have them

3. Use a stretch stitch (lightning bolt symbol on my machine) or a zig zag stitch is fine too - you want a stitch that isn't rigid and which will move with the fabric

4. Use whatever seam width you are happiest with, I just followed the edge of my sewing foot which is around 3/8"

5. There's lots of information about sewing with knit fabric online, including Kitschy Coo and Made by Rae

6. You can buy good quality knit fabric here and here and here (and lots of other places)

6.  My cowls were inspired by these and these

7. Any questions, just ask!

To make::
1. Cut two 20" by 9" rectangles from your fabric - I have used two different fabrics (tigers for the main and plain blue for contrast side).  Cut so that the long side of the rectangle runs across your fabric from selvedge to selvedge, or side to side if re-using a t-shirt, it should stretch most from side to side rather than top to bottom

 2. Pin the two pieces together with right-sides of the fabric facing each other
3. Sew along both long edges

Don't worry if it looks a little wrinkly, it will settle down when you iron it!

4. Turn right-sides out and press

It is possible to get this next step wrong 

but it is easy if you do it exactly as set out below 

5. With your main fabric uppermost, and right-side out, bring the two short un-sewn ends together so that one right-side main fabric edge lines up with the opposite right-side main fabric edge.  Holding those matching edges together move your hand along towards one of the seams - match the seams as shown below so the main fabrics edges are together and the contrast fabrics edges are together and start to pin in place working out from the seam

 6. As you keep pinning you'll end up swallowing the cowl inside itself with only the wrong sides of your fabric showing and a neatly pinned circle of raw fabric edges

7. Sew round the pinned edge starting with your contrast fabric

8. Stop when you're almost back at the start leaving a gap for turning right-sides out

                            

9. Turn right-sides out through the gap

10. Sew the gap closed neatly. I like to use a ladder stitch - taking a small stitch in alternate sides of the seam. This looks like a thorough tutorial 

11.  Finished - enjoy!