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.
Knit, Paint, Love 
