Shoulderwear? If it’s not a word, it should be. Anyway, I might have to buy the new Knitscene Accessories, drawn in by these two wraps:
TOP: San Cristóbal Shawl by Ashley Rao, which would be great with or without the fringe.
BOTTOM: Icelandic Star Cowl by Julia Farwell-Clay, which of course I’m imagining in charcoal and ivory even though that would suck all the cheerfulness right out of it.
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On another bright note, this week’s ICYMI post is Knit the Look: Elisa Nalin’s pink-striped pullover.
I’m pretty sure this photo of model Lindsey Wixson in her fur hat and oatmeal cowl is the one that planted the seed for Knit the Look. I remember seeing it on Vanessa’s blog and thinking geez! This is literally Knitting 101 — cast on, knit, bind off. Then seam the ends together to form a loop. If you know the knit stitch — even if you only know the knit stitch — you can make this in no time.
So simulating this one doesn’t require tracking down a similar pattern, and it could be made from any chunky yarn you like. But the key to getting it to look like Lindsey’s is that marl effect, which you could easily achieve by holding three strands of yarn together, such as Cascade Eco Alpaca in Natural, Straw and Silver. To start, calculate what you want the circumference of your cowl to be: Drape a piece of yarn around your neck, estimating how you want the scarf to lay, then measure that length. (For this look, probably something in the range of 36–40 inches.) Cast on 30 stitches on US11/8mm or larger needles. Work back and forth in garter stitch (i.e., knit all stitches), until you have a rectangle whose length equals your desired circumference. Bind off loosely, then use your yarn and tapestry needle to seam the two ends together. Et voilà.
See Vanessa’s recommendations for the hat to go with!
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Street style photo © Vanessa Jackman; used with permission
Getting back to knitwear on fully clothed people, here’s how my State Street Cowl turned out — sorry it’s taken me so long to get it photographed. I’ve literally worn it every day since I blocked it; it’s a cold studio dweller’s best friend. You may recall I made mine more voluminous than the pattern called for, with additional repeats in both directions, and as a result it’s the cowl I’ve been longing for. The heft, the drape, the texture — it’s a dream. This is Quince and Co’s Puffin wool in Frank’s Plum, which is a more subdued and moody plum than the photo suggests.
A bunch of people have told me (here, in Ravmail, in 3D) they were casting on for this and I’d still and always love to see your FOs. The original knitalong thread is right here. And there are a couple more pics of mine on Ravelry, if you’re interested.
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In other news, a few Elsewheres:
— Interesting: Pam Peterson uncovers the surprisingly brief history of the iconic Icelandic sweater.
— Cute: A free easy seamed cowl pattern at Design Sponge, from Danielle Henderson. (See also their great interview with her.)
— Drool-inducing: Also part of Design Sponge’s knitting series, studio tour and profile of Jared Flood and Brooklyn Tweed.
— Fascinating: The back story and whereabouts of Sally Fox and her naturally colored cotton plants. (I had some Foxfibre towels in the ’90s but never knew this much about it all. Now I want to know even more.)
— New: Blue Sky Alpacas’ three Roaring ’20s-inspired wraps (knit and crochet); Quince and Co’s first crochet collection, by Rebecca Velasquez (of Haiku fame); Kelbourne Woolens’ eleven most popular designs from their first five years in business.
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Thanks to Leigh for snapping the cowl pic for me.
By the time you read this, I will have finished my State Street Cowl, and that makes me a little sad. Not only have I had a great time knitting it, but boy is it a crowd-pleaser. If you’re ever in need of some instant positive reinforcement, all you gotta do is show someone the State Street Cowl you’re knitting. (Or, y’know, post a photo of a beer on Instagram.) Anyway, I’m in jeopardy of knitting a whole bunch of them — as opposed to continuing to explore new patterns and skills and techniques — so I’m in search of something different yet equally enticing for my next portable project. These are strong contenders.
LEFT: Mikan Snood pattern designed by Kyoko Nakayoshi
RIGHT: Kilkenny Cowl, which happens to be another Pam Allen design
I’m also tempted to do Tante Ehm’s beautiful Milanese Loop in State Street proportions.
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Ever since I knitted that Jumbo Basketweave Cowl last winter, I’ve been wanting to do another version — at a thinner gauge and long enough to wrap twice around my neck. And from the moment I first laid my hands on that indigo-dyed Sincere Sheep Luminous wool/silk yarn we’ve got in the shop (for a few more days at least), I knew I had to knit with it, and that I wanted it piled up around my neck. So the two urges merged into this Double Basketweave Cowl. Double because it loops twice, because it’s knitted with two strands of yarn, and because it uses almost exactly two skeins of the Luminous. I also love it doubly as much as the original. It’s the knitwear equivalent of that most beloved and worn pair of blue jeans.
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DOUBLE BASKETWEAVE COWL PATTERN | download PDF
This is a super simple, easy to memorize knits-and-purls stitch pattern. Feel free to knit more or fewer rows of the basketweave pattern for a wider or narrower cowl, as desired. If adjusting for the circumference, multiply your stitch gauge by whatever you want your circumference to be, then round to the nearest number that is divisible by both 4 (for the ribbing) and 6 (for the basketweave pattern).
Materials:
Measurements (before blocking):
Directions:
Holding two strands of yarn (throughout pattern), CO 192 sts
place marker and join for working in the round, making sure stitches are not twisted around needle
work k2/p2 ribbing for 4 rounds
knit next round
work 10-round basketweave pattern (below) 4 times
work k2/p2 ribbing for 4 rounds
BO loosely and weave in ends
Basketweave pattern:
Rounds 1-4: *k2, p4, repeat from * through end of round
Round 5: knit all stitches
Rounds 6-9: p3, *k2, p4, repeat from * until one stitch before marker, p1
Round 10: knit all stitches
(Fave, queue or download it at Ravelry)
*Note that when using indigo-dyed yarn, as with a new pair of blue jeans, there will be some color transfer. Expect your hands to turn slightly blue while knitting (it washes right off) and for the soak water to turn blue when blocking the finished piece. After that, the dye should be set.
— I discovered that my beloved friend Meg must have been weaving in the ends on her Big Rubble just as I was writing that post about the pattern. I WANT that sweater. I particularly love the single, mustard-colored pocket Meg added.
— In response to my post about Harpa, Cirilia Rose has suggested she might do a video tutorial about the two-handed colorwork method. Send encouraging vibes her direction, please.
— I’ve started a new Pinterest board specifically for my aforementioned aran fixation, called aran sweaters forever. For anyone else who can’t get enough.
— Turns out the lovely MJK and I both have the State Street Cowl pattern (referenced here) waiting patiently for our attention. Anyone else fancy a knitalong? I’m thinking perhaps we could cast on January 1st?
— Meanwhile, I’m casting on another cowl, using my two treasured skeins of indigo-dyed Sincere Sheep Luminous, held double. I can’t stop caressing my swatch. I’ll have details and a pattern coming up very soon.
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’Tis the season. The one where all I can think about is protecting my neck from the cold rain and wind, and you know what that means. Peaceful to knit. Joyful to wear. Yep, it’s definitely cowl season.
top left: Miles of stockinette spendor from Phildar — but y’know, pick your circumference, multiply by your stitch count, and start knitting
top right: Mel Clark’s Big Houndstooth Cowl — Sarah made this one recently (in a mottled grey) and I want to steal it right off her neck every time I see it.
bottom left: Mira’s Cowl by Mira Cole (free) — the embodiment of “less is more.”
bottom right: the State Street Cowl by Pam Allen — I bought the yarn for this almost a year ago; think it’s time to cast on.
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UPDATE 01.02.13: We’re doing a little knit-along of that last one, the State Street Cowl. Do join in!
