Six years ago I first released the Lorraine Cowl, a collaboration between my mom Lorraine and myself! The design was my mom’s brainchild and she knit up the sample, and then I worked out the pattern details.
The original yarn used was Berroco Corsica, a cotton/cashmere blend. The size of this design and texture of the stitch pattern is perfect for cotton blends! However, in the years since this pattern was first released, the yarn has since been discontinued. But not to worry – we’ve been doing some experimenting and have found several yarn alternatives that can work excellently as substitutes! In the pattern I provide instructions for both sport-weight and DK-weight yarn, so in the options below I specify which I follow for each.
Option 1: Rowan Cotton Cashmere
Rowan Cotton Cashmere is a DK-weight cotton/cashmere blend and is quite similar to the original Corsica yarn. It has less yards per ball, but we found that 1 skein was still enough. I love the feel and texture, and it’s a great option for wearing in summer air-conditioning, or if you live in a warm climate. We used the DK-weight instructions for this yarn.
Option 2: The Fibre Company Luma
Luma is also a great option to consider. It’s a merino/cotton/silk/linen blend – so if you like having a little bit of wool but also some cotton and linen, this is a good one to consider. Similar to the Rowan Cotton Cashmere, it has less yardage than the original Corsica, but 1 skein was enough to knit the whole cowl. We used the DK-weight instructions for this yarn.
Option 3: Sandnes Garn Duo
Duo by Sandnes Garn is a merino/cotton blend. Similar to Luma, if you like having a bit of wool in your fiber, but still a bit of cotton, this is a great option to consider (plus I love all of the colorway options!). Word of advice – get 2 balls. We tried with just 1 and JUST squeaked by (it was quite the game of yarn chicken!). We used the DK-weight instructions for this yarn.
Option 4: The Fibre Company Road to China Light
Road to China Light is very luxurious. It’s not quite as summer-friendly as the other options since it’s an alpaca/silk/cashmere/camel blend. So it may feel a bit warm for summer-wear, but it’s perfect for Fall and Winter, and great for gift-giving at the holiday season. We used the sport-weight instructions for this yarn.
Did Changing Yarn Affect Size?
The short answer is…a bit. As you can see in the picture below, some versions came out a tad bit wider and some a tad bit longer. But in a cowl like this, these small measurement differences didn’t affect the overall piece too much and all versions drape and wear quite nicely! So which option you may want to go with just comes down to personal preference.
Ready to Make Your Own Lorraine Cowl?
I hope seeing these different versions in different yarns has inspired you! If you’re interested in purchasing the pattern, click here to view the pattern information page here on my website, or here on Ravelry.
