I love me some cowls, I have knit 13 of them since the start of 2011, long and short, cabled and lace. Here is another one for the stash. The yarn, a merino, cashmere, silk blend is so fantastically luscious and the pattern as easy to follow but engaging.
The designer of the pattern called it "a thousand splendid suns", my variation (thanks to the color and my geography) made me think of all the thousands of little lakes that are to be found in and around the Georgian Bay area. Each lake unique and slightly misshapen, much like my little circles, most are about the same size but each were made at a slightly different tension so they are all unique and interesting in their own way, and not in fact a mistake in the pattern.
I think this cowl reminds how beautiful and fun a simple (ie. not tonal or varigated or sparkly) knit in a simple pattern (ie. not a complex lace pattern) can be really beautiful and wonderful to wear.
- Details -
Project Name: a thousand splendid lakes
Pattern: a thousand splendid suns by Cecilia Flori
Recipient: Me
Yarn: Rapture by Squoosh Fiberarts in Beachcomber
Modifications: None
New Skills:
- Turned Hem - I have done one before but this is the first time it didn't suck
- Sun/Lake Motif - The slipped stitches required to make the suns was a unique stitch I don't think I a
Feedback:
- Yarn: Very, very nice yarn. The color is very vibrant and the base is so yummy. It is a similar blend to madelinetosh Pashmina, but I don't have any so I can't compare. My one surprise was how much it draped during blocking. I didn't put it under any tension and I swear it doubled in size. I am still happy with it, but for sweater makers, a little swatch blocking would be a good thing for this yarn.
- Pattern: A good, error-free short (which is a bonus) pattern. The instructions were clear and the finished object looked like the photo.
Re-Knit?: Probably not, it is a cool pattern but the resulting cowl is an awkward size for me (too short for two wraps and too long to be tight on a single loop). But it is very, very cool and a great color, and very, very soft.