Tuesday, July 1, 2008

spring chick cowl

Well, at least when I started this, it was supposed to be for spring. But finals, graduation, moving, etc., etc., got in the way, so it's just now off the needles and blocked.
It's the Chickadee Cowl from Through the Loops! and is a simple, beautiful pattern. I'll definitely reknit it in the intended gauge when it gets chillier again. I'm sure that it would be a quick and fun knit. As it was, I had some Handmaiden Sea Silk that I was itching to use for a present for my grandma, so I modified the pattern for the much-thinner yarn (cast on 135 stitches on size 9s, and knit for about 20 inches to account for the highly drapey fabric). I started out using 6s, but that produced a much denser fabric than I wanted. It probably would have been pretty, and perhaps a little more functional, but I was hoping for it to feel a little lacy. Even though cowls aren't really season-appropriate, I think that my grandma will still be able to wear this one in frigid air conditioning, and in the early fall.
EW suggested, probably quite rightly, that I should stop knitting after about 12 inches. I ignored this advice, because I really, really wanted the finished cowl to be able to do this.

This yarn is pretty hard to photograph, but I think this close-up best shows the range. The color is called Dandelion, but it reminds me more of daffodils.

Here's the Ravelry project link, for those of you who'd like it.
Currently on the needles, I've got some more gorgeous Plucky yarn and am trying to design a tank top to show it off. I should be knitting other things, but the combination of small size and minimalistic design have made this a really good project for lulls in the BarBri lectures. I'm going into full study mode this month, so who knows when this one will be done.... I'd love to see what you all are working on in the summer heat!

8 comments:

Elizabeth said...

That yarn is so essentially spring like, it makes me feel that "it's cool, but so much warmer than it has been feeling." Or maybe I've been reading too many knitting blogs. And I think your 20 inches, while less practical perhaps, gives the work a definite advantage. I like it when I can hide under my accessories.

RJW said...

I'm not going to lie, I spent about 5 minutes thinking about what English word ended in -snamuh which is what it looked like on my little iPhone screen.

HEB said...

and, RJ, I'm not going to lie: I'm missing something. Can you decode for those of us without the fancy phones?

RJW said...

Look at your pictures in your post and then look at the capital letters

HEB said...

Oh. That is a question mark. In a mirror.

Churchma said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Churchma said...

I love the yarn and the pattern. I'll have to add to my to-do list (behind the projects I already have yarn for!)

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for posting this pattern / modification :)

It's so wonderful to find EXACTLY what you were searching for!

xoxo
-K