FO: Tokyo Cowl

Note: I have had this project done since October and this is the only photo I have of it, from Instagram and from the fall.  The post has been written since late last year, but I needed to get it out of my drafts folder.

This was a spontaneous project, I saw a cowl Carla had made and I figured it would be a good use for the skein of Groovy that had been sitting in my stash for far too long.  When I had originally ordered the yarn (we don't have a decent LYS less than 2 hrs from where I live, so I order 99% of my yarn online) it came a different color that I had expected.  It is a very nice color, but it was basically the color of my peachy skin rather than the nice cream I had been expecting.

After having it live in my stash for nearly 2 years it was time for it to be made into a gift, and I still haven't found the right buttons or the right person for it, it will find its way to the right person eventually.

- Details -

Project Name: Tokyo Cowl

Pattern: Begbie Cowl by Jane Richmond

Recipient: The Box/Not Sure Yet

Yarn: Dream in Color Groovy in Tokyo Cream

Modifications: None

New Skills: None

Feedback: Easy pattern, nice yarn, but not my colors.

Re-Knit?: Only if I have a single skein of bulky yarns I don't know what to do with.

FO: Hug Me Cowl

So about that Christmas knitting, it's best to get it started as early as possible, and getting it done feels good.  Except when that Christmas knitting is from 2011.  Yes, that's right I finally started and finished my Christmas 2011 knitting.

This cowl was a gift for my Mom, originally the gift was of yarn and the lessons and needles to knit the project (she was interested in getting back into knitting) or if not a new cowl for the next winter.  After a winter, spring and summer it was becoming abundantly clear that she wasn't going to be a knitter it was time to knit up a cowl for her.

The name of the cowl is telling, the designer called it cocoon me, but to me it is hug me cowl, because that is what I ask my mom to do, Hug Me.  So hopefully, this will be a nice hug for her all next winter.

- Details -

Project Name: Hug Me Cowl

Pattern: Cocoon Me Cowl by Rose Beck from RosyPosy Designs

Recipient: She who hugs me, my Mom.

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Green Label in Sand

Modifications:

• Converted Garter Edging to Ribbing - I hate garter in the round, so I changed the edging to a 2x2 rib and it flowed straight into the pattern

New Skills: None in particular

Feedback:

• Yarn: I like Tanis' colors but Green Label is not my favorite base, there is something about it that just doesn't work for me.  Also, Sand is a great color.
• Pattern: Great pattern, love that it's reversible, but P5Tog is my furthest from favorite stitch and I use a crochet hook to keep myself from going crazy.

Re-Knit?: Nope, the P5tog is pretty much what is keeping me from doing this again,

WIP Wednesday: August 15th

Now that the Ravellenic Games are over it is back to my previous knitting. I'm going to try to finish my plain (casserole) socks so that I can start a fingering weight pair to check the pattern.

My other priority is to finish the new bubbly cowl, which was a Christmas gift to my mom last year. The thing was she wanted to knit so I gave her the things to learn, but turns out she isn't that motivated so I needed to make the cowl before the weather turns cool.

The other two were cast on just before the games and I'll get to them at some point.

The one you don't see here is that green lace stole, which I finally frogged. It had two chances with the Muir pattern, time to try it on something else.

FO: Sealaria Cowl

Not long before Knitter's Frolic in Toronto I was contacted by Julie Crawford of Knitted Bliss who is a friend and  collaborator with Tanis of Tanis Fiber Arts to ask if I would be interested in testing a new lace cowl pattern.  Knitted in TFA Purple Label, a MCN fingering weight blend, with all sorts of nupps and lace, it seemed right up my alley.

While at Frolic I was able to see all the TFA colors in person for the very first time, and with some help from Tanis herself, I picked Seabreeze as the color I would test the knit in.

While I had done some test knitting a few years ago with the Free Pattern Testers group on Ravelry, this was my first time in the big leagues. It was great to work with Julie and I hope I was helpful in finding some of the quirks, that exist in all patterns, and get them clarified before others, who didn't have a one-on-one contact with Julie to get their questions answered right away, go to knit it.

A couple of weeks ago, this pattern finally came out as part of the Stella Collection, which included four shawls knit in four different TFA fingering weight yarns (Blue, Purple, Silver and Red).  It is nice to get to share this beautiful cowl with you finally, and to see the other patterns.  I'm hankering to get my hands on one of Tanis' OOAK colorways in Red Label to knit up the Suncrest Shawl, such a neat shawl and such a wonderful yarn.

- Details -

Project Name: Sealaria Cowl

Pattern: Solaria by Julie Crawford of Knitted Bliss and TFA

Recipient: Me

Yarn: TFA Purple Label in Seabreeze

Modifications:

• None, this was a test so I followed the pattern exactly-ish.  Changes happened during the testing process but they are in the final pattern.

New Skills:

• Nupps: With god as my witness, I will never fear Nupps again!  Seriously there are so many of them in their pattern that I am totally cool with nupps now.
• Testing: It's been a while since I tested a pattern, its lots of fun, and I would happily do it again.

Feedback:

• Yarn: Amazing!  My first time working with Purple Label (although I have some of it in my stash) and I'm totally impressed with it.
• Pattern: As I helped test it, I think its a pretty good pattern, but having a full set of charts is a real bonus, that is my preferred pattern type, so I was glad Julie chose to put full charts in.

Re-Knit?: Probably not, it is a bit too fussy for a gift and I have one so, probably not, but I will be making other patterns from the Stella Collection.

FO: Flower Cowl

Sometimes a yarn bounces from queue item to to queue item so often, sometimes you just have to turn it into something before it goes back into the deep stash not to be seen for years.  So after never finding the right pattern for the Tosh I decided to just use it and make the Calm Cowl, which has been on and off my queue for months.

I really need to crochet more, I do enjoy the activity and the fabric it makes is really different from knit fabric, which means it has different applications.  Maybe some crocheted toys like those made by Stacey at Fresh Stitches.

- Details -

Project Name: Flower Cowl

Pattern: Calm Cowl by Suzana Davidovic

Recipient: Me

Yarn: madelinetosh Tosh DK in Smokey Orchid

Modifications:

• None

New Skills:

• Crochet in the Round: although I don't think I succeeded at it (there are some weird spots where the rounds join)

Feedback:

• Yarn:  Tosh DK is always awesome, although the skeins were different and I should shave be alternating rounds but didn't, whoops, that is the joy/danger of working with hand dyed yarns.
• Pattern: Clear and fine and the FO matched the pattern, although it could have been written in fewer steps, even for a crochet newb like me

Re-Crochet?:  Probably not, I prefer knit cowls, but I do enjoy crochet and should do more of it.