Shimmer in Blue

Veera Valimaki designed Shimmer in Blue and I thought it would be a great pattern for the two skeins of Manos Del Uruguay – Maxima that I had in my stash.  2015 is going to be all about using things I already have and this project was a good start.

   The pattern is written to have a smaller circumference at the top than at the bottom.  I think this feature allows the cowl to sit better on your shoulders than if it were the same dimension at the top and bottom.

The Maxima is variegated and this pattern had a good mix of garter stitch field and a twisting cable that ran the length of the cowl.  I think the variegated yarn worked fairly well with this pattern.  Not too overwhelming for the color variation, but the cable added some interest.

Just when I vowed to not buy variegated yarn again, since I prefer the crispness of the pattern stitches when knit in a solid color – I bought two skeins of Jamie’s Purple Haze from Cutthroat Yarn in Leesburg, VA.  I couldn’t resist the colorway…I’m a sucker for pink, purple and baby blue.  I may use this for Purl Soho’s Bandana Cowl, since it is straight stockinette stitch and I think the pattern will showcase this yarn well.

Wonky Cowl

The Wonky Cowl.  I found this pattern on knitty.com back in 2009.  I had been knitting about three years by then and thought maybe I could extend my pattern choices beyond scarves.  I still love to knit scarves, but this pattern seemed doable.

I had a skein of Debbie Bliss’ Cashmerino Superbulky which was the perfect yarn for this pattern.  It knit up quick and had great stitch definition.

 

The basketweave pattern was a bit of a knitting challenge for me  back then.

Alex, my niece, modeled it for me last summer.

Since this was such a snowy winter, this cowl was in heavy rotation in my house.  It seemed as though it was the perfect piece to keep your neck warm without having to deal with the scarf tails.

I’ve always felt that once I knit a pattern I wouldn’t want to knit it again.  Kinda like reading a book twice, but this pattern I would knit again.

Now I just need to search for the perfect yarn.

 

Thermis Cowl

I love a good cowl.

I find them much easier to wear than a scarf – no fussing with the scarf tails and no wondering how best to  to tie it.

Just slip on the cowl and go and, since I knit at a snail’s pace, they are “quick” to knit.

I selected the Thermis pattern written by Kris Knits, because I liked the button feature and the great gray yarn color the original was knit in.  I chose Miss Babs Yowza in Pewter to knit the cowl and I just love the yarn and the way the cowl turned out.

The Yowza yarn has a great flecks of light and dark grays.

The pattern was a mix of ribbing and a basket weave seed stitch.  Pretty easy stuff.

There was a bit of drama with this cowl.  Seems at some point the yarn fibers may have been attacked by moths which frayed the yarn and a hole appeared in the ribbing.   This is where friends that knit are very important.  Kate, my knitting friend and genius, repaired the hole with ease and this little cowl is back in rotation.

Looks great on Alex, my niece.

Looks like cowls are the way to go!

Ribbon Cravat

The Ribbon Cravat was made after I attended a Yarn Tasting at Fibrespace located in my old neck of the woods – Old Town Alexandria.  Fibrespace hosted a night of Yarn Tasting meaning Kel and Danielle talked us through several new yarns and told us why they were so cool.  They focused on how they were spun and the fibers that were used.

While I find this information very interesting, for me, knitting is all about the fabric pattern that is made.  If you are a serious knitter, you know what I am talking about.  Fabric you can pet and just stare out. Mesmerizing cables or a smooth, neat stockinette surface or a bumpy, crazy cool garter stitch pattern.

Some knitters I know like Kate, have moved on from the fabric love, and really enjoy the yarn.  I am just not there yet.

One of the yarns highlighted that night was a pencil roving from Imperial Stock Ranch.

Yarn made at a ranch?  Done.  You had me at ranch.  Plus, it was just cool and there was pink.  Pink yarn.  Love it.  Roving so thin and light as air.  Just had to try it.  They had the pattern for the neck cravat or the longer scarf and I started on the neck cravat.  My attention span isn’t what it used to be.

The cravat had interesting features like a ribbon woven through it and a decorative button.  I chose a light pink silk ribbon and used the antler button I bought when on my cruise to Alaska.  The antlers were naturally collected.  No deer were injured in the making of the button.

My niece, Alexandra, is the model, my sister, Danielle [not Fibrespace Danielle] is the photographer and I am the stylist.  That’s me trying to tie the ribbon just right.

That’s Alex, just looking adorable in the ribbon cravat.