Blooming Cowl

About two weeks before Christmas, I found myself shopping for gloves and scarves at the Bloomingdales outlet.  I came upon the most beautiful, brightly colored, soft, drape-y cowl.  My first thought was, "I could make this."  I think every knitter has that same thought when they find something knitted in a store?  My second was, "But not in time for Christmas."  So I bought the cowl and gave it as a (hopefully) much loved present.

When I got home, I wanted to replicate the cowl and I wanted to make my daughter's teacher a special gift for Christmas.  When we moved, my oldest daughter started at a new school almost three times bigger than her last.  I was nervous for her, but her teacher has been amazing.  I didn't get the cowl done in time for Christmas, but thankfully her birthday was in early January.

I opened my yarn drawer -- I'm trying to limit myself to three separate places in the house where I store my yarn -- and found a beautiful blue, superwash, worsted weight wool.  I bought this wool years ago to make an adult version of the Lucia sweater but, for lots of reasons, that project didn't pan out.  One thing that I know about this yarn: it doesn't shine in stockinette stitch.  The stitch definition just isn't as crisp as I'd like.

 To replicate the drape I found in the cowl at the store, I pulled out Size 11 needles and started working in a pretty basic knit/purl stitch.  I guessed at how many stitches it would take to make a 12 or 13" tall cowl (because I couldn't be bothered before the holidays with making a gauge swatch) and started knitting.  I knew I wanted a cowl that was fairly long around, and I didn't trust my guess at a gauge be as spot on for that measurement.  So I worked flat, which I wouldn't normally do, and seamed the cowl into one big loop when it was long enough.  I could knit this cowl on auto pilot, which was a welcome relief at night from the mental accounting it takes to manage Christmas shopping for three girls.

 

That's the Blooming Cowl :: fairly quick, somewhat mindless, but generous in size and with a lovely drape.  I've included instructions for both knitting flat and seaming AND knitting in the round.  I hope you enjoy this free pattern!

download now

 

 

 

My newest design - the Radiate Cowl pattern

I thought about this pattern for a long time before actually knitting it.  I really didn't know when I'd get around to knitting it.  But I walked into my local yarn store about a month ago and saw these 2 skeins.

I started knitting and, as I knit, I saw these radiating columns begin to form.  I didn't originally plan to have the columns be different lengths, but as I kept going, I liked how the columns drew your eye around the cowl, almost like spokes on a wheel.  And the word radiate came to mind.  Not only that spokes radiate from the center of a wheel, but that spring was almost here, and light and warmth were on the way.

I love how simple this cowl is.  Take any 2 colors you love and knit this one size cowl for anyone you love.

Each cowl takes only 2 oz. of a main color and 1 oz. of a coordinating color.  My sample is knit with Malabrigo Rios in Midnight in Paris and English Rose. These are my two favorite springtime colors together.

You can buy the Radiate Cowl pattern on Ravelry here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/radiate-cowl.

Welcome spring!

sale! (coupon code listed below)

When we got the first snow or two back in December, I was excited.  The kids could sled, they wanted to play outside, and everything looked clean and new.  About 100 inches later, and days away from the start of Spring, and snow fatigue has set in.

We're supposed to get another foot of snow tomorrow.  So to help me celebrate what I hope is the last snow, use coupon code lastsnow for 50% off any one pattern in my Ravelry shop.  The coupon code is good until the end of the day, March 21, 2013.

Stay warm, knit something, and hope for spring!

fresh air

I find a lot of inspiration in nature, especially at the beach.  I hadn't been to the beach in months.  Between snow, and snow, and more snow, and various illnesses that have swept through our house, I haven't ventured outside much at all.  Things were starting to feel a bit claustrophobic.  But yesterday the girls and I went down to the beach.

When I visit the beach, instead of looking out over the water, I spend my time looking closely at the ground to see what I can find.  I find taking this narrow view of things very peaceful.

The girls collected rocks (lots of them), shells and sea glass.  They climbed the rocky edge of the beach and yelled that they were queens of the world.  Some fresh air did us all a lot of good.

middle beach scarf

I'm excited today to release my newest pattern, the Middle Beach scarf.  Knit with 2 skeins of madelinetosh dk, it's a simple combination of knit and purl stitches that creates a reversible fabric.

Two sets of buttons increase the ways in which you can wear the scarf.  Use one set to wear the scarf as a cowl.

Wear the other set to wear it as a wrap around your shoulders.

From now until March 31, 2013, purchase the Middle Beach scarf pattern and receive any other one pattern in my Ravelry shop for 50% off.  The discount will automatically apply.

valentine's day

a little knitted bracelet...

a recycled garland...

 a bookmark for a beloved book...

paper hearts...

and a love.

  Happy Valentine's Day!

a temporary thaw

We had two days of respite from what has been a very cold winter so far.  The first day of the thaw was foggy and a little bit eerie.  I caught these water droplets on a few straggling honeysuckle leaves and the  yarn I used to support the plant.

And like that, the thaw is over, and the ice is back.  But I am dreaming of spring and longer days.  And I'm knitting for spring with a yarn called Frost.  It's exactly the color of the water droplets.  Fresh and promising.