Flying Solo. Photos © Espace Tricot
Flying Solo by Espace Tricot is a free unisex cowl knitting pattern with a clean ribbed texture and beautiful ombre color transitions.
The design uses two strands of fingering-weight yarn held together throughout. By changing only one strand at a time, the colors blend gradually from one shade into the next, creating the distinctive striped gradient effect.
Flying Solo Cowl Pattern Details
- Designer: Espace Tricot
- Published: November 2017
- Craft: Knitting
- Category: Cowl
- Pattern availability: Free Ravelry download
- Style: Unisex
- Size: One size
- Yarn: Two strands of fingering-weight yarn held together
- Suggested yarn: ArtFil Solo
- Total yardage: Approximately 600 yards (549 m)
- Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm)
- Gauge: 27 stitches × 27 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in 1×1 rib with yarn held double
- Main stitch: 1×1 ribbing
- Construction: Bottom up
- Construction style: One piece
- Techniques: Worked flat first, then joined to work in the round
- Languages: English and French
A Simple Ribbed Cowl With an Ombre Effect
Flying Solo has a minimalist shape, but the changing yarn colors give the finished cowl much more visual depth than a basic ribbed accessory.
The entire design is based around classic 1×1 ribbing, which creates a stretchy fabric that sits comfortably around the neck. The color changes then become the main decorative element.
This combination makes Flying Solo a great choice if you prefer simple stitch patterns but still want a finished project with a distinctive look.
How the Ombre Stripes Are Created
The cleverest feature of Flying Solo is the way Espace Tricot creates the color transitions.
Instead of working with a single strand of yarn, you hold two strands together throughout the project.
When it is time to introduce a new color, only one strand is changed. For example, two strands of Color A might be followed by one strand of Color A held together with one strand of Color B. Later, both strands can become Color B.
This gradual replacement of one strand at a time produces soft ombre transitions rather than abrupt color changes.
Three Colors, Many Different Looks
The original Flying Solo sample uses three colors of ArtFil Solo.
Espace Tricot chose a neutral palette for its sample, but the designer specifically notes that the cowl can also look striking in saturated, speckled, bright or jewel-toned hand-dyed colors.
Because the colors overlap as you change one strand at a time, three yarn colors can create several visually distinct blended sections.
Using Fingering Yarn Held Double
Flying Solo uses fingering-weight yarn held double. This means you knit with two strands at the same time as though they were a single working yarn.
Holding yarn double creates a thicker fabric while also making the gradual color blending possible.
It is important to remember that the pattern's listed gauge is measured with both strands held together, not with a single strand of fingering yarn.
The Original ArtFil Solo Yarn
The suggested yarn is ArtFil Solo, a fingering-weight single-ply yarn made from 100% merino wool.
Ravelry lists ArtFil Solo at approximately 366 metres per 100 grams.
Espace Tricot describes it as a soft yarn suitable for accessories and garments worn next to the skin, which makes it a natural choice for a cowl.
Choosing Substitute Yarn
You do not need to use the original ArtFil Solo to enjoy the color concept of Flying Solo.
Look for fingering-weight yarns that work well together when held double and that produce the required ribbed gauge on 4.5 mm needles.
Using yarns with similar fiber content and yardage can make the color changes easier to manage, especially if you want the sections to have a consistent texture.
Use Hand-Dyed Yarn for Dramatic Color Blending
Flying Solo is especially well suited to hand-dyed yarn because the held-double construction naturally mixes neighboring colors.
A tonal yarn can create subtle transitions, while speckled or highly saturated yarns can produce a much bolder effect.
You can also choose three related colors for a smooth gradient or use contrasting shades for more dramatic stripes.
Bottom-Up Construction
The cowl is worked from the bottom up.
However, it does not begin entirely in the round. The lower section has separate front and back flaps, which gives the finished cowl its characteristic longer shape at the front and back.
These two sections are knitted separately first and then joined before the upper portion of the cowl continues in the round.
Front and Back Flaps
The front and back flaps are an important part of the Flying Solo design.
They extend lower than the sides of the cowl, providing additional coverage over the upper chest and back without making the entire cowl equally long.
This shaping is particularly useful when the cowl is worn beneath a coat or jacket because the longer sections can help cover the area near the neckline.
From Flat Knitting to Knitting in the Round
Flying Solo uses both flat knitting and knitting in the round.
You begin by working the two lower flaps separately. Once they are complete, the pieces are joined and the remaining cowl is worked continuously in the round.
This construction creates the shaped lower edge without requiring the entire cowl to be seamed afterward.
One-Piece Construction
Although part of the project is initially worked back and forth, the pattern is classified as a one-piece construction.
After the lower sections are joined, the main body grows upward as one continuous ribbed tube.
This keeps finishing relatively limited while preserving the unusual dipped shape at the bottom.
Needles and Gauge
The pattern uses US 7 (4.5 mm) knitting needles.
The specified gauge is: 27 stitches and 27 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in 1×1 ribbing with the yarn held double.
Ribbing is naturally elastic, so gauge affects both the finished dimensions and the way the cowl stretches around the neck.
Make your gauge swatch using two strands together just as you will for the actual project.
How Much Yarn Does Flying Solo Need?
The pattern lists approximately 600 yards (549 metres) of fingering-weight yarn in total.
Because the project uses two strands simultaneously and changes colors throughout, check the original pattern carefully for the recommended distribution of the three colors before beginning.
If you substitute yarn, having a little extra can also be useful when planning your own color transitions.
Skills Used in the Flying Solo Cowl
Useful techniques for this project include:
- Knitting and purling
- 1×1 ribbing
- Working flat
- Knitting in the round
- Holding two strands of yarn together
- Changing colors
- Joining knitted sections
- Following a bottom-up construction
- Kitchener stitch / grafting
A Good Project for Learning to Hold Yarn Double
If you have never knitted with two strands held together, Flying Solo provides a practical reason to learn the technique.
The stitch pattern itself remains simple, so your attention can stay on keeping the two yarn strands together and managing the color changes.
Once you become comfortable treating two strands as one, the technique can also be useful for many other knitting projects.
Managing Two Strands of Yarn
When knitting with two strands, it helps to keep the working balls separate so they do not become unnecessarily tangled.
Check periodically that you have caught both strands when forming each stitch, particularly if the yarn colors are very similar.
When changing one color, take a moment to organize the yarn before continuing. This makes the ombre transitions easier to manage and keeps the knitting relaxing.
A Unisex Cowl
Flying Solo is designed as a unisex accessory.
The simple ribbed structure has no strongly gendered decorative elements, and the finished look changes dramatically depending on the colors you choose.
Neutral shades create a classic minimalist cowl, while brighter hand-dyed yarns can produce a much more expressive version.
Why Knit Flying Solo?
Flying Solo combines a very familiar stitch pattern with a clever color technique and practical shaping.
The 1×1 ribbing keeps the knitting straightforward, while holding two strands together and changing one strand at a time creates sophisticated-looking ombre stripes.
The separate front and back flaps also give the cowl more coverage than a simple straight tube, making the construction visually interesting as well as functional.
Get the Free Flying Solo Cowl Pattern
The complete Flying Solo by Espace Tricot is currently available as a free downloadable knitting pattern from the Espace Tricot Ravelry Store.
Get the Free Flying Solo Cowl Knitting Pattern
Pattern availability was checked when this article was updated. Availability on external websites may change over time.