Turn a Triangle Shawl Pattern into a Cowl

Top-down triangle shawls are so fun to make, but sometimes they can be a bit fussy to wear. In this video, Jen Lucas will show you how to convert a triangle shawl pattern into a cowl! This will give the look of a beautiful triangle shawl, but won’t slip off your shoulders as you go about your day.

Regardless of the stitch pattern you are using, you should work your top-down triangular shawl until the top edge of the shawl measures the desired circumference for your cowl. (Use a tape measure to check the measurement across the top edge of the cowl to be sure it is the correct size.) For most cowls, you would want a minimum of 24” because it will need to comfortably fit over your head, but the size is up to you!

In order to join and start working in the round, Jen folds her shawl (matching the top points) with the Right Side facing outward. Jen makes a slip stitch through both points to connect them together, then she continues to work around the cowl in the same stitch pattern that she was using to create the triangle piece. Most triangle top-down shawls have increases along that top edge, but as Jen points out, after you join your shawl to work in the round, you would no longer need to make these increases. However, if you wanted to have a point at the center back of the shawl, you could continue to add in those increases, like in her granny square cowl example.

When working across the front of the cowl, you would continue making the same increases that you had been when working in turned rows. This will continue making the pointed shape at the front. After working across to the center back of the cowl, Jen joins a slip stitch into the top of the first stitch of the round (this was the beginning chain that she made right after joining the two points with the slip stitch).

Fabric looks a bit different when working in the round compared to working flat in turned rows. Because of this, Jen shows us how to keep a consistent look to the fabric by continuing on with the cowl, working in joined, turned rows. At the end of the video, Jen gives us some tips on how to convert a shawl that has already been finished into a cowl by seaming it together at the back.