Tag Archives: cowl

Coming soon, Ebb and Flow

Posted on December 28, 2022 | 13 comments

I didn’t frog; I finished!

And I love it with the lighter color on top. I’m so glad I didn’t frog it. Sometimes you have to tell that little voice to just go away. Blocking went fine, whew! But I think it will become less crisp the more I wear it; it’s 50/50 baby yak and silk.

This is the first one I knit while designing. It has a taller neck, and less down in the triangle. I think I like them both! This one is 85/15 superwash wool and nylon. The fabric has more body to it, which I also like.

What I really like is how the math works so elegantly for the increases in the triangle, so that each section is created in exactly the same way. Very satisfying for my inner nerd.

This shape is one of my favorites; it doesn’t fall off when you wear it. Do you have a preference on the neck/triangle options? I like having options! If you have a lot of yardage, you could have both a taller neck and a longer triangle.

On to test knitting and tech editing! This will be out in 2023. I’m looking forward to the new year. I hope you’re having a joyous holiday season!

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The Thrill of the Thrum

Posted on November 14, 2011 | 8 comments

Autumn is definitely here, and it’s chilly. I’ve been experimenting with wooly ways to be warmer, and my current infatuation is with thrummed knitting. Here’s its latest incarnation.

Thrumster is either a cowl or an earband, depending on where you like your warmth. Or do both! Me, I don’t like messing up my hair, so I got DH to model the earband. I’m all about the cowl.

Things look pretty straightforward from the outside, but the inside is where the action is. These babies are *warm*, because they have thrums knitted in. So cozy!

What are thrums? They’re bits of fleece that you work into your knitting. Thrummed knitting originated in northeastern Canada, where they know how to deal with cold! I’ve written a pattern for this thrummed earband and cowl set, and it explains all about the art of the thrum. I’m also teaching a class on thrumming at Twisted next month on Tuesday, December 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. Come learn a new technique with me!

Not in PDX? The pattern is for sale through Ravelry. I made a video tutorial, too.

What’s your newest knitting technique? What did you knit with it?

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Buttermilk Sky, and Pippi, redux

Posted on February 6, 2010 | 16 comments

It feels like I haven’t been knitting much lately. I’ve been impatiently waiting for some yarn I ordered, and kind of at loose ends while waiting. I guess I must have done some knitting, though, because I have two FO’s to show you.

buttermilk sky

This sweet little cowl is called Buttermilk Sky. It’s a design by Bonnie Sinnott over at Blue Peninsula. I was the lucky winner of her pattern and this sumptuous Blue Sky Alpaca Silk last November.

alpaca silk

This was a quick and easy knit, and the yarn was so nice to knit with.

buttermilk texture

Haven’t you seen clouds like this?

Thank you, Bonnie!

pippi redux

My other FO is a variation on my Pippi hat. I taught a Pippi hat class last month at Twisted, and started a hat as a demonstration model. Since I was nearly done with it by the time classes were over, I went ahead and finished. I love these colors together. One of the colors in the stripe sequence on top isn’t the same as in the previous blue/green/white Pippi, but I was working from stash, so this is what I have. I also got distracted and didn’t follow the chart for the last colorwork pattern; oops. Class was fun; everyone learned to carry two colors in their knitting, and also how to make i-cord and half double crochet. A success!

My special order yarn came in this week. More on that in another post…

Knit on!

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Party on, knitters

Posted on January 10, 2010 | 20 comments

We had our knitting party at Twisted this weekend. The party was a fund-raiser for our local high school. We had 16 participants. Most, but not all, had knit before.

Our projects? The As You Like It cowls. Lantern Moon blondewood needles. Malabrigo Chunky yarn. It’s like knitting with chewy linguine, so luscious.

mmmmal

Oh, and desserts. Lots of desserts. A stellar cheesecake served with chocolate truffle sauce and/or blueberry compote (recipe below), lime bars, fruit, chocolate…

party 6

Lots of knitting going on!

party 4

party 3

party 2

That’s Carole in the apron. She’s my party kitchen wench. We do projects together and have a lot of fun. And she makes the world’s best cheesecake. She doesn’t knit, though.

party 1

Carole’s DH Scott, the PTA president, knits! I taught him many years ago.

shirt

Don’t you love Amy’s shirt?

There was only one knitting faux pas of the evening.

twisted join

Join, being careful not to twist…oops.

shmem

Thanks to Twisted for having this party with us!

I made blueberry compote with berries from last summer’s crop. This one turned out particularly well; it thickened enough by itself that I didn’t have to add any cornstarch.

Blueberry Compote

2.5 cups frozen blueberries, unthawed
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C water
1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

Combine 1.5 C berries with the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, stirring often, until berries burst, about 10 minutes. Add remaining berries and lemon juice. Continue stirring; cook until compote thickens, about 8 minutes. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Serve warm when you’re ready!

How was *your* weekend?

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Happy Christmas eve to you…

Posted on December 24, 2009 | 17 comments

Ready or not, Christmas is coming. I’m as ready as I’m going to get. Tonight is a whirlwind of activity, and then we’ll have a quiet Christmas morning. Bliss.

I’ve knit several gifts this year, although I didn’t set out to do so. Knit just happens! My favorite one is a new design, and I can’t show it until after Christmas. But here’s another version of one of my cowls. This one is knit with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky, and it’s lusciously soft. A gift for a non-blog reading friend.

cashmerino

The Cashmerino Chunky is a lot lighter than the Malabrigo Chunky, so this was knit on a US 9, as opposed to the 10.5, and on fewer stitches. It took about 1.5 balls of yarn (50 gram balls). I loved knitting with this yarn.

merry mookmas

Mookie wishes you a very happy holiday. We’ve celebrated Hanukkah, and are about to celebrate Christmas. Which reminds me, I still have to go get her a new catnip slug to put in her stocking. She loves them.

log cabin mook

Almost as much as she loves this Log Cabin blanket that she’s claimed for her very own.

Did you finish all your gift knitting? Is it time to start something for you? I’m still toying with the idea of a Heather Hoodie (ravelry link), but I want it to have sleeves. I have a skein of Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky to swatch, and if I still like the idea after swatching, I’ll order a sweater’s worth of it. What do you want to knit next?

Merry Christmas!

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As You Like It, aka Knitter’s Choice

Posted on December 19, 2009 | 14 comments

I’m having a knit party at Twisted next month as a fund-raiser for our high school booster club. I did this last year, too, and wrote the Checkerboard Scarflet pattern for that party. This year’s party will feature a pattern for even quicker neckwear. These cowls are designed to be knit with Malabrigo Chunky. What’s not to like?

The pattern is called “As You Like It.” There are two cowls worn three ways. This one is my favorite. I love the fabric and the texture. Knitting this was heavenly.

P1000421

Here is the other one/two. Knit it once, you can wear it either way.

turtle 2

turtle

They’re fairly simple projects, since the party is for knitters of any skill level. I hope they like them! We’ll also have needles donated by Lantern Moon to work with. Again, what’s not to like? The patterns will be for sale as a set.

And now, back to my Christmas knitting! I need to finish the stealth project, and then write up the pattern. I’m really pleased with it, It’s turning out just the way I wanted…after three tries.

Do you have knitting to finish before Christmas?

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Happy Thanksgiving! Happy FO…

Posted on November 26, 2009 | 17 comments

Happy Thanksgiving! We’re at the point in the day when the turkey is roasting (on the grill) and everyone is just hanging out. Must be time to blog…

I’m working on a set of cowls for a pattern for the auction knit party at Twisted. I finished one yesterday, and today was a picture perfect day. Too bad the other cowl isn’t with me; I guess it will have a photo shoot later.

broken garter

This is knit with Malabrigo Chunky, colorway Noviembre. Pattern coming as part of a set. The yarn is really fun to knit; it’s big and chunky like al dente pasta.

P1000421

And pretty fun to wear!

P1000416

The teen likes it, too.

We took a walk this afternoon and saw this persimmon tree.

persimmons

And the neighborhood football game.

football

I looked up and saw this:

P1000401

I don’t think I’ll be taking a nap outside. They’re circling…

P1000407

Wishing you lots of turkey and pumpkin pie!

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Athena, for me this time. Really.

Posted on February 12, 2009 | 3 comments

My third project at Crafty Mom Weekend was another Athena neckwarmer. This is the fourth; the first three were gifted and sampled away. How do I know that this one is going to be mine, for sure?

myathena

I made a mistake on the edge of the first rectangle of a tier, and didn’t realize it until I was all the way around. (We were watching a movie…) There were a couple loose hang-y strands staring at me. I couldn’t face ripping the entire tier back, so I fudged it. I picked up the stitches for the next rectangle one stitch inside the edge, instead of on the edge. It hardly shows from the front; you’d have to know where to look. I’d hate to give a defective(!) knit as a gift, so this one *must* be mine, right? I’ll be happy to finally have my own!

It’s not done yet; I had one more project that was begging to be worked on. More in the next post…

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Answering the question

Posted on January 15, 2009 | 11 comments

I’ve been wondering: If I knit Athena one block narrower, would I be able to do it with one ball of Taos? The answer is…

athena3

Almost. But No. I made it all the way through the triangle blocks, but didn’t have enough to bind off. So now I know. This Athena is quite cozy at 20 inches around, yet still roomy enough, but since I have to buy the second ball of Taos anyway, why not make it more squooshy? So my next one will be at the size specified in the pattern. Wait, did I say next? Yes. It turns out this Athena isn’t for me after all. The colors are perfect for my friend D. And she’s having an Important Birthday. So off it goes.

athena3close

Please note the lovely daylight, outside, no rain. A respite!

But I can’t knit another Athena right now. I promised myself that when I finished, I’d cast on for the Leyburn KAL on Ravelry. And so I shall. Tonight.

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Knitting around in circles

Posted on January 11, 2009 | 14 comments

Pippi 3 is off the needles.

PippiCashmerino

It looks just like Pippi the first, right?

pippi

Almost! The Cashmerino Aran colors are really rich and and seem to glow. I wouldn’t call it Aran weight, though. It’s a very nice worsted. Note the slightly shorter earflaps. And now that I’m looking at the picture, I see that I used double crochet instead of half double crochet on the edging! Oops. I’m not a crocheter, really, and I mis-remembered how to do it. I like the way it looks, though. I love this pattern, but after three hats, I’m definitely ready to move on.

What next? I started my Athena for me.

Athena3

Lest you think that I am in a rut (three of the same thing, and three of the same thing?), I have another thing in the queue after Athena:

eggplanted

My friend Susan gave me these Lantern Moon Sox Stix for Christmas. Size 2! I guess that means I need to knit some somewhat skinny yarn socks. I bought some Socks That Rock Mediumweight (still not ready for the really skinny stuff); this color is “Eggplanted.” There’s a KAL on Ravelry for the Leyburn Socks, so I’ll start with that idea and see if it flies.

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