FO: Garter Eyelet Cowl

Pattern: Stacked Eyelet Cowl

Yarn: Indigodragonfly MCN Sport

Needles: 3.75 mm (US 4)

Mods: None.

Notes: This yarn is heaven. So squishy soft, so lovely- it's exactly the kind of yarn you want cuddling your neck on a chilly day. Too bad it's actually 30 Celsius (86 F) in these  photos.... but sadly it'll be fall before you know it!

This cowl is amazing- it's the perfect one skein project for a lovely little treasured sport weight yarn you've got hiding in your stash, and it's fast and easy enough to churn these out for gifts for everyone you know. I'm definitely planning on knitting this again- I can think of a few girlfriends that would love them, and it would be nice to have a great cowl wardrobe for myself during the winter months! We'll see. I've been true to my knitting goals of this year of gifting a lot of knitting so far, which I really enjoy.Here's some more gratuitous cowl photos!

And here is a photo of the cowl when it was in progress, so you can see how the stacked eyelets play out:

P.S- By the time you read this, we'll be either on the plane or freshly landed in Stockholm!

FO: Blackberry Cowl

 Pattern: #12 Cabled Cowl

Yarn: Knitpicks Gloss HW in Blackberry

Needles: 5 mm/ US 8 circular

Mods: none.

Notes:  I loved knitting this. The cables and stitches made for an interesting project to knit, and the size of it meant it was done pretty quickly. I love the final result! The yarn was really lovely- it has great sheen, and holds up really well.

Over the long weekend, I also got a chance to indulge in many of the things I said I wanted to do. I did a bit of gardening, drank gin & tonic (and wine...), ate lots of delicious things (including radishes, one of my favourite vegetables) and had a lovely picnic with friends. It is this very picnic that the above photos were taken! After all, why not get some FO shots when you're doing something fun, right? It was delicious. Erica made a wonderful chickpea salad and lemon tassies, and I made couscous salad and coconut macaroons from Lunch in Paris (I don't recommend the recipe, they ooze everywhere and were not fun to make. I ended up making them in muffin tins just to corral the oozing.)

You may have noticed that we are drinking (well, I'm drinking) wine out of wine glasses. Just because you're outdoors is no reason to drink out of plastic cups! Hey, it's important to class up your picnic be environmentally friendly.

The empty plates pretty much say it all!

I'm also working on Athyrie at the moment... I'm loving the pattern so far. It's straightforward, and simple enough for a bit of mindless knitting. I'm really looking forward to the convertible end result:

FO: Destroyed Cowl

Pattern: Destroyed Cowl

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Grapes colourway

Needles: US 8/ 5 mm

Mods: In order to keep this a one skein project, I shortened the length slightly- it's only about 38 inches in circumference.

Notes: What can I say about Malabrigo that hasn't already been said? I'm a fan of knitting cowls (and anything else that is meant to be worn against the delicate area of the neck and chest) in the softest yarn you can get your hands on, and Malabrigo is definitely high on that list.

This pattern was a lot of fun, and definitely could be churned out as a last minute gift, as long as you don't mind stockinette and have some good wrist stamina. I knit this within 24 hours, and just loved the magic of unravelling the stitches on either side for the 'destroyed' effect. For those of you who have made the Clapotis, you'll understand how oddly satisfying it is to unravel portions of your knitting!

I love cowls, they are such a great accessory. leave them loose and unlooped for a fashionable accessory, or loop them around to keep the chill away. Here is what it looks like when it's wrapped around your neck twice:

The vest I'm wearing is not trimmed in real fur- it is fake. I don't wear real fur.

So snuggly and warm!! And wrapped twice around the neck is just right- not too loose, not to tight. I love it!! This is likely to be one of my future Christmas gifts. That is, unless I can't bear to part with it come December!

Dualing FOS: Incognito and Snow White Duck

On the same day as I finished my caplet, I actually finished up 2 other projects, which I've been negligent in blogging about. First up- the completely reversible Incognito.

 Pattern: Incognito 

Needles: 5mm

Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Dove Grey and Black

 

Mods: Basically, I knit two of them. I eliminated the hem, and instead made it totally reversible- one side grey with a black 'stache, the other side black with a grey 'stache.  In order to provide a seamless look on both sides, I kitchener stitched the final hem together.  This gives the cowl/neckwarmer a lot of extra warmth on really frosty days, plus a little moustache versatility.

 

Next up, we have the Duck Duck Goose hat designed by Eliza Toser, who is working on drafting a pattern. This was a combination of test knit and fulfilling a request  for my friend (and model) Monica who wanted a white hat. It was also knitted on 5mm needles, in Berroco Vintage yarn.

 

  

The hat knits up quickly and beautifully, and would really look it's best in a variegated yarn. The daisy stitch would highlight a lovely handpainted yarn perfectly, and the slightly rolled brim and slouch are really flattering for the wearer. I love this hat! Will definitely make another.

FO: City Cowl

Pattern: My Kind of Town Cowl

Needles: 12mm

Yarn:Belle Valleé Wools 4-Ply 100% Wool (thanks to Canary Sanctuary for the yarn!)

Mods: None

Notes: Such a simple pattern, so much immediate love!! I've worn this cowl pretty much every day since I finished it- and it only took me a couple days to knit it. Not everyone would love my yarn choice- it's not the softest wool in the world, but my sensitive skin still loves wool. Me and wool, we're tight.

One of the best things the designer did was include lots of photos on the different ways it can be worn. Because when you're first finished, it just looks like a garter stitch  tube, and that's not particularly inspiring. The pictures above and the picture below show my two favourite ways of wearing it:

 (This one is the way I wear it with my coat all the time, and then I pull it over my shoulders if I'm indoors and still a bit chilly).

I can't say enough good things about this- it's the perfect quick knit, and a fabulous beginner project if you know some new knitters who need a simple and satisfying project to begin with. And if you are looking for quick holiday gifts, I can't recommend these enough!