Easy ribbed cowl

Lately I have been a little obsessed with using up yarn. Consequently, I was looking for a simple project to finish up the Jamieson and Smith Shetland I used on several other projects. Hence, this cowl.

Pattern: 2x2 Easy Ribbed Cowl, by Rachel Steinbock.
Yarn: Jamieson and Smith Shetland Aran Worsted, in 'Flugga White', 'Light Grey', and 'Shetland Black'; 94g total
Needles: US8 (cast on and bind off using US9)
Modifications: I used a 2x2 alternating long tail cast on and bound off in pattern; continued until I ran out of yarn, at 8.5"

This yarn is one of those "sheepy" smelling ones. I used some Eucalan Wool Wash when I soaked it before blocking, but not enough. I don't mind the smell, but it's not something everyone likes.

Double crochet cowl

While looking for an easy project for my granddaughter to crochet, I happened upon this pattern. I tested it, then paused while I finished the log cabin scarf, as both used the same yarn and I wanted to make sure I had enough for the scarf. Consequently, the cowl is not as long as specified in the pattern, but long enough for me.

Pattern: Long Double Crochet Cowl, by Stephanie Jessica Lau
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted, naturally dyed with henna
Hook: H (5.0 mm)
Modifications: The pattern calls for super chunky yarn and a hook size of N/P, but I ignored all that.

This cowl is worked in turned rows. I chose to seam the two ends together using a slip stitch, which worked well but is obvious.

Knit cowls are usually worked in the round, and I found myself wondering about how one would do that with crochet. Well, while I used the free version of this pattern, the $5 version includes instructions for crocheting one in the round.

Lamb's Pride is a very warm wool, thanks to the mohair in it, but I'm not sure this cowl would provide much protections from the cold due to the open fabric. A polar vortex is on its way, so maybe I'll give it a try.

Another Lozenge Cowl

In an attempt to use up the rest of the yarn from the Wabash Woollen Works natural dye workshop, I knit another Lozenge Cowl. Mission almost accomplished. All that remains is some madder.

Pattern: Lozenge Cowl (free Ravelry download), by Raging Wool
Yarn: merino sport weight (about 100g), MC = hollyhock, walnut, eucalyptus, marigold, onion skin, madder, CC = sumac, Queen Anne's lace, madder (acid modifier)
Needle: US5
Modifications: Used Old Norwegian cast on and suspended bind off

A black and white version of the above photo reveals that the contrast in values between the onion skin dyed yarn and the acid modified madder is not as deep as I would have liked, but not too bad.

The main color is knit in garter stitch. If I had paid attention, I would have avoided this bit where the change in colors is not very smooth. (Is there a name for this knitting result?)

The back is not as tidy as the previous Lozenge Cowl. I have a tendency to knit stranded colorwork too tightly, but I overcompensated too much in this version. I would not enter this project in the county fair.

I showed this to my spinning peeps, and they declared it good. Their opinion is all that matters, right?

A trick with colors

I've been looking at the yarn that remains from the natural dyeing workshop at Wabash Woollen Works, contemplating what to make with it. From weighing the Lozenge Cowl that I made from it, I decided there was enough for another cowl. But I wasn't sure about the colors. So I did a little trick: took a photo of the remaining balls, then converted the pic to black and white.

This allows me to see the differences in value between the colors. I want enough contrast between the colors in the cowl to accent the lozenges. And so far, it is working out just fine. (There was enough of a dark green to cast on with.)

Knitting: Besides working on the Lozenge cowl, I am making headway on both pairs of socks. I'm ready to turn the heels on the non-matching pair.
Spinning: Still working on the Tasman comeback.

I'm reading a book called Get the Picture, by Bianca Bosker. The author is exploring the New York art world in an attempt to develop an "eye" for art. One artist she talks with has several paintings going on at the same time and describes her feelings toward them as "relationships". Some of them are in "time out" and face the wall. I'm beginning to think of my weaving as being in "time out" while I figure out how to move forward with it. I've made several attempts, but so far, nothing clicks. Maybe I'm not a weaver?

Mistake rib cowl in Lorna Laces handspun

Once upon a time, my online fiber friend QuteCowgirl sent me a box of fiber. Included in the package was some Lorna Lace's Shepherd Wool, which I fractal prepped and spun. The yarn was lovely, and just the ticket for this mistake rib cowl.

Pattern: Mistake rib cowl from Purl Soho
Yarn: Fractal prepped and handspun Lorna's Laces Shepherd Wool Top superwash merino in 'Devon' (118g)
Needles: US8 (cast on and bound off using US9)
Modifications: Cast on using alternating long-tail method and bound off in pattern

This pattern is perfect for mindless knitting and needs only 100g of worsted or aran weight yarn. My handspun was a bit thick and thin and a little bulky, but still fine.

Lozenge cowl

Before the monthly spin-in at Little Shop of Spinning, several of us meet up for lunch. In January, one of us wore a Lozenge cowl she had knit, which led me to making one of my own. Since it calls for sport weight yarn, it seemed like a good candidate for some of the yarn from the natural dye workshop.

Pattern: Lozenge Cowl (free Ravelry download), by Raging Wool
Yarn: merino sport weight (about 100g), dyed with madder, black-eyed Susan, hibiscus, and hollyhock
Needles: US5
Modifications: Cast on using Old Norwegian cast on, bind off with Suspended bind off - both of these add some stretch

The pattern uses slip stitches to accomplish the colorwork - easy peasy! Blocking makes a difference, really opens the lozenges.

Another grayish clowl

This is what happened to the 2-ply handspun tencel, silk, and merino yarn. Cowls are so easy to do. This one is similar to the previous grayish cowl, but I knit this one in the round.

Basically, it has 10 roundss of 2x2 ribbing at the beginning and end, then stockinette stitch interupted by eyelet about every 6 rows. Not very fancy.

Pattern: my own
Yarn: handspun tencil, silk, and merino, two-plied
Needles: US5

The photo below shows a close-up of the detail, and it is a good thing I took this pic, as it shows a dropped stitch. Grrr! I'll have to fix it - and check closely for any other dropped stitches - before offering this to anyone else. Although I may just keep it for myself.

Although this handspun is nice and soft, I don't really like the combination of fibers. The silk and tencel makes the yarn slicker than plain wool would be, so it's more difficult to maintain tension while knitting. After all my experiences with fiber, I find myself going back to what is simple.

Grayish cowl

A while back, I purchased a couple of braids of roving from Little Shop of Spinning. I spun one braid, then two-plied it. The other I chain-plied. This is the story of what became of the chain-plied yarn.

My goal was to use up all of this yarn, so I decided to provisionally cast on 36 stitches which would be grafted to the end of the knitting. Theoretically, this would also leave the possibility of making a mobius cowl by twisting one end a half turn.

The pattern is basically knit 4 rows of garter stitch, knit an eyelet row, then purl a row. At each end, I omitted the eyelet for a couple of stitches, to create a border of sorts. I meant to slip the first stitch of each row, but didn't always do that right, hence the wonky edges. Also, there is a definite slant to the whole thing which I was not able to completely correct with blocking.

Pattern: my own
Yarn: handspun tencil, silk, and merino, chain-plied
Needles: US9

The fabric was not long enough to twist into a mobius, so I simply grafted the two ends, using instructions found online (and I can't find again). If you can do kitchener stitch on stockinette, you can graft garter stitch.

While comfy and soft, this cowl is not my best work. It will end up on the xmas gift table tomorrow, in case anyone wants it. If not, I have a new cowl I can wear with my new black coat... which I have yet to wear this winter, as the weather is not very wintery.

Timberlane Cowl

This example of colorwork uses a technique I have not encountered before. Instead of working two colors in one row, the knitter knits one color, slipping the stitches that are reserved for the other color; then knits the other color, slipping the first color's stitches. So one knits each round twice? That's how it felt. That method was easier than holding a yarn in each hand and working them both at once, but I'm not sure it's better.

Initially, knitting with my usual hybrid method (yarn held in my right hand) produced a fabric that was too tight, so I switched to continental knitting, holding the yarn in my left hand - I can't maintain tension knitting this way, so the stitches were looser.

Pattern: Timberlane Cowl by Eileen Lee
Yarn: sport weight merino from Wabash Woollen Works
Needles: US4
Modifications: None to speak of

For some reason, both the beginning and the end of the project have jogs in them. Usually, weaving in ends eliminates these, so I'm not sure what I did wrong. They aren't too noticable, are they?

After knitting but before soaking, I tried on the cowl. It was very snug, reminding me why I no longer wear turtleneck tops. After a good soak, the stitches relaxed somewhat, so it was more comfortable. It's short enough that it could serve as a "dickie".

If I were to knit this pattern again, I might try working both colors at once. Also, I would go up a needle size, at least for the body. And make it longer, so it can cover one's nose.

Simple Rules Cowl

I thought I had knit this pattern before, but it was one called Bamboo Bloom Infinity Scarf and Cowl. Not much difference between the patterns as they both use thick 'n thin "art" yarn, the thick purled to bring it forward in the fabric. Both are free through Ravelry.

Pattern: Simple Rules Cowl, by Stash Lounge
Yarn: Art yarn, created by Terry Guenther
Needles: US10 (except cast on and bind off using US10.5)
Modifications: Besides purling the thick, I also purl into the thick

My granddaughter actually thinks this is pretty (she's very discerning, hard to please), so it may become hers.

Another 100% That Cowl

When I knit the first 100% That Cowl, I used up a little more than half the DK yarn I selected. I decided to knit a duplicate, knowing it would be a bit shorter than the first. I measured the yarn as I knit the initial ribbing to make sure I saved enough for the ending.

It looks a bit bigger around as well and/or the ribbing is a bit tighter. I knit this mostly while watching TV, so that may have had an effect.

Pattern: 100% That Cowl, by Kris Rossi
Yarn: Colinette Cadenza in 'Tapis' colorway
Needles: US5 for body, larger needles for cast on and bind off
Modifications: Fewer rounds for the body, as I was short on yarn (finished with about 12 inches to spare)

This pattern is so easy I may knit a few more cowls, just for fun.

100% That Cowl

I needed a small, portable knitting project, but not socks. This cowl was the perfect solution as it is stockinette bordered by 2x2 ribbing. Very simple.

Pattern: 100% That Cowl, by Kris Rossi
Yarn: Colinette Cadenza in 'Tapis' colorway
Needles: US5 for body, larger needles for cast on and bind off
Modifications: I didn't follow the pattern regarding colors, as the only DK yarn I had was this hand-dyed one

I was a bit surprised that the yarn bled when I gave the cowl a bath.

The merino yarn is very soft, so no itchiness when worn next to the skin. The cowl is nice and stretchy, too, easy to pull on and take off.

I have enough of this yarn to make another cowl, albeit a bit shorter, so I plan to cast on again when I need another easy, portable knitting project.

Little Looms

For a while now, I have purchased each issue of Little Looms from either B&N or Little Shop of Spinning. I finally decided to subscribe and the first issue I received has a "been there, done that" feel, articles on topics I am already familiar with. Not that I can't learn something new from Tommye Scanlin (author of Tapestry Design Basics and Beyond) or Myra Wood (author of Crazyshot) - lord knows I don't know everything there is to know about anything - but I was expecting something more unknown to me.

Even though I have quite a few issues (of the magazine - we won't go into the personal ones here), I think I have never actually made any of the projects with the exception of some xmas ornaments we fiddled with at weaving guild. I'd like to change that, so I spent some time yesterday perusing old issues, focusing on projects where I did not need to buy any fiber. (My cynical self thinks some of the projects are simply methods for flogging yarn, especially the ones calling for five or even eight different colors.) Before warping a loom, though, I need to sample some color combinations.

Knitting: The Habitation throw is in a time-out, as I made another booboo and the stitch count is off AGAIN. Meanwhile, I returned to the DK cowl, deciding the colors look better once I knit beyond the initial ribbing.

Spinning: No, I didn't actually do any spinning this week. However, I did volunteer to demonstrate spinning at the next Salomon Farm Fiber Arts Celebration. Time to dust off the Ashford Joy and pick out some fiber.
Weaving: I *finally* hemmed the sage towels. Too bad my sewing skills are not better. Maybe I should actually sew something simple, like a caftan out of muslin, just to get more practice.

My driveway now sports a basketball hoop, as my granddaughter is interested in the sport and her driveway is not conducive to such activity. Back in the day (WAY back), I went to a high school that did not have team sports for girls, but I played intramural basketball and was rather good at it, if I do say so myself. Imagine my shock when I discovered I can't throw the ball hard enough to reach the rim, let alone make a basket. Fortunately, the hoop can be lowered, so I've been practicing to strengthen my shoulders so I can play "Horse" with my granddaughter this summer. The things we do for those we love.

Royally blue cowl

After crocheting a swatch to prepare for repairing the Taupe Beast, I looked for a simple crochet project. Unable to find something simple enough, I chose to make a cowl using the same stitch pattern as the Taupe Beast. I actually crocheted this cowl at least twice, as I was struggling with getting the turns at the ends of the rows correct. I also struggled a bit with stitching the ends together, using good ol' mattress stitch.

Pattern: Stitch pattern from "Ivory Elegance" in A Year of Afghans Book 5, a Leisure Arts book.
Yarn: Big Twist (acrylic), in 'Royal Blue'
Hook: USG
Modifications: Cast on 101 stitches, executed only two pattern repeats.

I'm not a fan of acrylic, but it is better than it used to be. And it's machine washable/dryable. However, I no longer use it for baby items, since it melts when exposed to a flame whereas wool, even superwash, is naturally fire resistant.

Scarf x cowl

I wanted a simple project on which to practice Irish cottage (lever) knitting using straights and involving both knitting and purling. There is not much of anything simpler than a scarf, so I grabbed some bits and bobs of Noro left over from another project and knit me a mistake rib scarf.

Since I was using bits and bobs, the color shifts are a bit abrupt, and since I was using left overs, the inevitable happened: I ran out of yarn before I ran out of scarf. So I decided to graft the two ends together, creating a loose cowl. I had not planned to do this in the first place, which meant I had to pick out the cast on. And then I realized I had no idea of how to graft ribbing, let alone mistake ribbing.

I did a little online research, which gave me some ideas, but after the scarf/cowl (scowl?) lay on the coffee table for a couple of weeks, I wound up grafting the ends like they were garter. Another thing I did not plan was beginning and ending with the same color, so that was just dumb luck.

Good enough.

Pattern: None. Cast on 39 stitches, knit mistake rib until you run out of yarn. Join the ends.
Yarn: Noro Kureyon, in colorway 284
Needles: US7

Greens and browns are not colors I usually wear, but after blocking the scarf, I spontaneously tried it on.

It's the perfect accompaniment to my green sweatshirt, especially since it is still ridiculously winterlike around here.

Oh. Hello there.

I am not knitting up a storm here, that is for sure. For one thing, I have been distracted by yardening. For another, our prolonged heat wave makes wool seem positively repugnant at times. To counteract the latter, I turned to cotton.

Nothing special, just a dishcloth in box stitch. This color is a bright alternative to my other projects.

Still plodding along on this cowl - over halfway done, but it still seems to be taking forEVER. I blame the Kidsilk Haze - I can stand to knit only 2 rows at a time.

I turned the heels on the current sock project without looking at the instructions. Whoohoo! Now for the march to the toes.

I anticipate the Olympics will glue my butt to the couch in the coming weeks, so hopefully more progress will be forthcoming. I'd like to get these projects done, as I feel the itch of winter sweaters coming on (pun intended).

Summertime

The temperature reached 105 degrees yesterday. Today it was cooler (mid-nineties) and a storm blew through with 92 mph winds and about 0.25" of rain, then the temperature dropped 30 degrees. Aahhh! Back to the 90's tomorrow, though.

I have been knitting, albeit not much. Even though my house is air conditioned, it is difficult to work with wool in the summer. I would knit cotton, but it is too inelastic, makes my shoulders and wrists hurt with the effort.

The Gap-tastic cowl is my mindless knit project. Knit, purl, knit, purl, round and round we go.

It is difficult to tell in that photo, but the color is chocolate.

The portable project is socks, of course. Plain ol' ordinary striped ribbed socks.

I don't know why, but I don't want to knit anything more intricate right now. Lazy days of summer, I guess.

First FO for 2012

Actually, I finished this last year, but was too lazy to take a photo, much less post. Besides, I already had my recap for 2011 finished.

Pattern: Smilla by Susan Luni
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky, in 'Oregano'
Needles: US15
Modifications: I knit this flat, so had to seam it. Ugh. Also, I did not understand the instructions, so instead of a neck wrap, it is more cowl-like. I may have to take it for a test run, to see if I need to make further modifications - it seems really bulky.