Reversible cables? Yes, please.
When I sat down to design the first pattern for this year’s Celtic Knits Club, I knew I wanted to explore cables that worked from both sides of the fabric. Not just cables that looked the same front and back, but ones that offered something different on each side.
That’s where the Eibhir Cowl began.
I started playing with rib-based cables, curious to see how much contrast I could create without losing flow.
The result?
A cowl that feels like vines twisting and turning, with a two-stitch cable on one side and a single-stitch twist on the other. I love how you can make a fabric with cables from both sides but they don’t have to look identical!
But I’ve also introduced a second, central cable.
This one is a little different. It’s a big wide cable but the middle stitch is dropped at the very end. This gives you a much more open centre when it’s viewed from the back.
Wondering how it all comes together? Let’s walk through it:
The Eibhir Cowl begins at the very tip, with just a handful of stitches. From there, you’ll shape the fabric by working increases along each edge all while the central cable motif begins to take form.
But here’s where it gets interesting.
Once the front is complete, you’ll cast on stitches for the back and join your work in the round. From that point on, it’s smooth sailing working your cables in the round until the piece reaches double the final length.
Why double?
Because this cowl is made to fold giving you a double layer of warmth and a perfect canvas to show off those beautiful reversible cables from both sides.
Design Inspiration
Eibhir is the Irish word for granite, a stone that lies at the heart of so many Irish landscapes. Mostly grey, with soft veins of white winding their way through it, granite holds a quiet kind of beauty.
That same feeling inspired the Eibhir Cowl.
As you knit, you’ll notice slender, single-stitch cables weaving their way through the fabric — subtle, shifting, and organic. They echo those pale threads of white that move through granite, softening the stone and giving it character.
And if you’d like to know more about the pattern itself …
Pattern Details
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference At Neck: 24” / 61 cm
Length at Front Unfolded: 28.5” / 72.5 cm
Length at Back Unfolded: 9.75” / 25 cm
YARN
Stolen Stitches ‘Deas’ (86% Merino Wool, 14% Mohair; 202 yds / 185 m per 3.6 oz / 100 g); colour: Uisce, 3 skeins
Approx yardage: 526 yds / 481 m
NEEDLES & NOTIONS
US size 8 / 5mm circular needles, 20-24”/ 50-60 cm long
Always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed, every knitter’s gauge is unique.
Stitch markers, tapestry needle.
GAUGE
27 sts & 25 rows / rnds = 4″ / 10 cm in Side Cable Pattern blocked
Central 13 sts drop stitch cable measures 2.25” / 5.5 cm wide after stitch is dropped
Where To Buy
This cowl is currently part of our 2025 Celtic Knits Club.
The digital version of this club is available here.
Curious to learn more about the Celtic Knits Club?
You can explore the first pattern reveal, peek behind the scenes of the design process, or read more about the exclusive yarns we’ve chosen for this year’s club.
Each post will take you through how the club came together, this year’s theme and we’d love for you to follow along.