Sometimes my designs are inspired by fashion or nature or an idea or problem I want to solve, but sometimes, they are the simple result of harmony between yarn and hook. This cowl is such a design. The quiet undulating texture and soft scalloped edges developed organically as I worked.
Forgive the self-portrait–I had to take the photo while there was still some acceptable level of daylight, and there was no one around but me. This was at noon, but it seems like nearly dusk. The sun is at such a low angle these days, we never get bright sunlight, but the sunrises and sunsets are spectacular.
At TNNA, Eileen and Carl, the owners of Bijou Basin Ranch asked me to come up with a one-skein pattern using their luscious Yak-Cormo yarn. This yarn is a bit thick and thin, and it’s soft and light as a cloud, and extremely warm. It was certainly one of the exciting yarns at this years’ show. Clara wrote about it in her recent TNNA recap. I had first envisioned using it for a lace pattern, but the yarn wanted to be more of a solid fabric. I was chatting with Jess, who helped me wind the yarn in the bar/lobby of my hotel on Saturday night, and she mentioned she had been thinking of a feather and fan cowl which is the idea that eventually lead to the textured stitch you see here.
I checked in with Eileen on Sunday morning, and she liked the direction the cowl was going, so I proceeded, happy to have something non-teddy-bear-related to work on. The plane ride home was all it took to finish, and I put it to the test today. It did a great job keeping me warm in Cordova where it was crisp and in the high twenties today. (It didn’t help me remember that it takes extra time to scrape off the car before going anywhere so I was late to work at the yarn store this afternoon. By the way, nowhere else I have lived have I found frost INSIDE the car. Does anyone else have that issue?)
In the spirit of momentum, I wrote up the pattern today, but I’d love to test it out before releasing it. So, I will give a free draft of the pattern to the first five people who request one in the comments. The pattern uses about 150 yards of fingering (sock or slightly heavier) yarn and a 2.75mm crochet hook (USC). Please don’t ask for the pattern if you don’t think you have time to test it in the next week. Thank you!
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I'd love to try it! I'm on a crochet bender.
Very pretty and the lipstick is a lovely shade too!
Nice work–I dig it!
I love the new cowl. Could the pattern be crocheted with handspun? I just finished some BFL that would look lovely in this pattern.
tres chic! and sooo pretty.
May I test for you? And in acrylic?
WooHoo! Am I too late?
Re: Frost on the inside of the windshield, I figure that it was a combination of snowy boots and cranked-up heater = totally humidified air that freezes to the windshield on a frosty night. Too bad I've never figured out a cure for it…
The cowl is gorgeous and I have some yarn calling to me. Absolutely no way would I get to it this week, so I'll just have to wait for the pattern when everyone else is done!
I would love to have some BFL to make it with, but I don't. Yours looks great. I do have plenty of sock yarn. Is it to late to become a tester. I have wanted to make a cowl and crocheted would be awesome, I crochet faster than I can knit.
Hi Cici–you're tester #5! I'll e-mail you the pattern asap.
thanks so much. I tried to leave my link, but it wouldn't allow me.
I noticed I'm not getting folks' urls when they comment, I'll have to figure
out why that is. Thanks for letting me know! I've e-mailed you the pattern.
I don't know which is more stunning – the cowl, or that view!
I'd love to help you test the pattern. It's a long weekend here in Australia and way too hot to be crocheting anything other than small things in front of the tennis and cricket on TV!
Drat! I'm too late, also! Well I guess I'll be second in line to buy the pattern. It looks so snuggly and I love the scallops and texture.
I had an aunt and uncle that lived in Alaska after he was stationed there in the Air Force. They built a cabin out on a lake and stayed there the rest of their lives. My aunt was originally from Cuba and had a sister in Florida, but she stayed in Alaska even after my uncle died. Boy, did they have some wild stories to tell!
I am way too late, but happen to have a skein of KPPPM sitting here staring at me begging to be made into something. Valentine's colors too-I hesitated because of the small hook size, but am on a cowl kick lately and just finished up a pattern also being tested and dagnabit-missed out. It's lovely.
Oh, the Koigu would be lovely. I'm sure you'll have time to make it before
Valentine's day–and I found it went fast despite the small hook!
It is tempting to buy a cottage and stay here forever–there's something
about Alaska that you just can't really grasp until you've been here.
i'd love to test this sucka out! i've got some fingering weight yarn to use, and can whip it out in the next week or so.
Too late to test, but can't wait until the pattern is available. That cowl is beautiful!
Thank you!
I'm game. it looks lovely and I'd love to help out and test it! good work
Amy, Comcast switched to a new email system and I lost my entire inbox messages including this pattern-can't find your email addy now either. Smartzone they call it, ugh.
Ugh. I hate e-mail troubles. I have everything forwarded through gmail now
for backup and convenience… I'll send along new copy of pattern.
Amy, Comcast switched to a new email system and I lost my entire inbox messages including this pattern-can't find your email addy now either. Smartzone they call it, ugh.